Naruto: Legacy
by Atrayen
Summary: Naruto has always been quite intelligent for his age. How would the story we know change if Naruto was smart and perceptive enough to guess his heritage the night of the Mizuki incident? Well, he'd seek to make them proud, of course! Follow Naruto as he fulfills his destiny and surpasses the legendary Yondaime Hokage, making some interesting friends along the way! Image not mine.
1. Introduction

**Hello and welcome to my massive rewrite of my previous story! To those who are just reading this for the first time, I'm going to warn you not to go and try reading it. I'm going to keep it up on fanfiction as a reminder of how bad I was before, but it was ****_really_**** bad. I had terrible plot development, bad characterization and a lot of things not consistent with canon (my Tobirama vs Minato comparison with the Hiraishin, for instance.) This story will be massively different, I promise you. I'm going to keep this story on a weekly update (unlike my last one) and actually have a clear plot development in mind when I write the new chapters as to avoid the massive wall I reached early on with my previous story.**

**In terms of this story, the plot is very much the same as canon before the story begins. Naruto was hated, Naruto was treated like dirt, Naruto had a shitty academy experience, etc. He starts off in the forest with the Scroll of Sealing. However, this story differs in that Naruto inherited the natural genius of his father and is much smarter than he is in canon. It always irked me when he was written to be such a moron with two smart parents. You'd think his natural IQ would be pretty high and he'd have found solutions to his earlier problems in life (not being able to go to the library, not being able to buy stuff, etc.) So this is the result of what I envisioned should happen.**

For the purpose of this story, I will be using my own system of years. The year system will be simple. Year one will be the year after Konohagakure no Sato was founded, and by extension, the shinobi system as it is in the current era. Year one and on will be labeled** "Kotoshi Sōritsu no Ato" (KSA), **or** "after the founding year". **Anything prior to this will be labeled** "Kotoshi Sōritsu no Mae" (KSM), **or** "before the founding year". **The year Konoha was founded will be **"Sōritsu-toshi"** or **"the founding year".**

**Characterization Changes**

**Uzumaki Naruto - **Much smarter, much more determined, has a lot of common sense. Still a loud-mouth before my story takes place, but this immediately changes. For those curious regarding my prior story, Asura and Indra will be involved later on down the road. Just not immediately... It was kind of overkill that Naruto had all that insane power by the chūnin exam arc.

**Uchiha Sasuke** - He's still a brooding avenger but he isn't a Clan Pride whore like he is written to be in so many stories. There will be no bashing in this tale.

**Haruno Sakura - **Still a fan-girl in the beginning, but opens up and changes early on. Useless characters are bad. Useless characters who had a purpose early on are even worse.

**Gender/Age Bending**

**Yuki Haku -** Female and fifteen.

**Nii Yugito** - Thirteen years old when she is introduced.

**Terumī Mei - **Twenty-one years old upon introduction.

**Parings**

The main paring will be, of course, Yugito and Naruto. I am unsure as to what the other pairings will be, and am also unsure as to whether or not this will be a harem. That is entirely up to you. There _may _be some lemons, hence the rating.

As for Sasuke, I have plans for him. Don't you worry. It's going to be a unique pairing that I don't see a lot of. I promise.

_**There will be some AU-ish additions, such as naming the parents of Minato and Kushina, explaining their lineage, etc.**_

**Below is a list of all the customized jutsu, taijutsu, ninjutsu, nintaijutsu, f**ūinjutsu,** characters etc. that I will use in the story. This will be updated constantly as I add in new things, but what I have written below are one-hundred percent guaranteed to be used at some point in the story. I do not claim any of these customized additions as my own, as my ideas may have unintentionally spawned from reading previous stories that I have read. Additionally, some of these may be used in stories that I have ****_not_**** read and, as such, do not know of their existence.**

**Taijutsu Styles**

**Raijinken – Thunder God's Fist: **A style that focuses primarily on its user being both quick and fluid. There is not a wasted movement when the user is a master of the technique. Drawing heavily from the Hyūga **Jūken**, the technique focuses primarily on open-hand jabs and palm strikes. The difference between the **Jūken** and the **Raijinken** is how rigid the user is. The **Jūken** is rigid and stationary, the **Raijinken** is fluid and mobile. At its most basic levels, the user of the style will use highly concentrated chakra control in order to release small bursts of electricity to attack the target's nervous system. At its most advanced level, the user can place **Hiraishin** markers on the target to act as catalysts for finishing sequences. Hyūga Neji is rather annoyed when he discovers the technique's creation. _Users – Uzumaki Naruto, Namikaze Minato (Primitive Form)_

**Chi Mūndansu – Blood Moon Dance: **A style highly favored by advanced Iryō-nin, the style focuses on being fluid and precise. The technique was first developed by Uzumaki Kushina after discovering the more potent applications of incredible chakra control. Senju Tsunade approved of the technique but never bothered to learn it. The technique focuses primarily on using incredibly controlled bursts of chakra in patient and fluid strikes to leave a foe severely crippled. Unlike the **Gōken, **which emphasizes intense dedication to the art of taijutsu, the **Chi Mūndansu **does not require intense physical training, rather focusing on moving the body in a fluid dance and enhancing each blow with chakra. _Users – Uzumaki Kushina, Haruno Sakura_

**Ryū no Jōshō – Rising Dragon: **Also known as the "Interceptor Style", this style is highly favored by the Uchiha clan. This taijutsu style revolves around incredible strength and a powerful defense. While it is not required that the user is ambidextrous, the most successful masters of the style are capable of acting with both hands. The style focuses on turning the opponent's strikes against them and crushing their defense when the user finally gains the advantage. The style is not fast, but each and every hit is brutal. A fully matured **Sharingan **allows whomever uses the technique to be incredibly accurate and deadly with every strike, being able to predict every movement their opponent makes. The technique also has some unique variations that incorporate the use of **Katon: Ryūka no Jutsu** to burn their opponent when they get in close. Masters of the style are capable of using the **Ryūka no Jutsu** with one hand performing the hand seal sequence. _Users – Uchiha Fugaku, Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Obito_

**Hebi no Dansu – Dance of the Snake: **Orochimaru's preferred style of fighting. The user of this technique is incredibly fluid and defensive, turning their opponent's own offense into their downfall. The style is incredibly defensive and utilizes quick reactions to attack vital pressure points with open-palm jabs at viper-like speeds. While the style itself offers little-to-no offensive pressure, the defensive aspect of the style leaves very opportunity for the opponent to land a solid hit. _Users – Orochimaru_

**Nintaijutsu**

**Fūton no Yoroi – Wind Release Armor: **The user channels wind chakra to form a protective shell around them. If done successfully, the user creates a small pocket of air around them, greatly reducing the air resistance on their body and allowing the user to move at very high speeds and attack with a great deal of force. The creation of the technique came from Uzumaki Naruto after reading a brief account of the Third Great Shinobi War, leading him to discover the **Raiton no Yoroi. **At its most basic level the shell of wind will deflect smaller projectiles, such as Senbon Needles, and grant the user a small amount of offensive power. At its most advanced levels the user will be able to ignore most jutsu and greatly increase their offensive capability, even creating a buzz-saw effect behind every blow for increased offensive damage. **_Rank – S, _**_Users – Uzumaki Naruto._

**Kekkei Genkai**

**Kin Kaminari - Gold Lightning: **While not a combination of elements or a special dōjutsu, **Kin Kaminari** is a marvel in of itself. The user's chakra affinity is so hyper-charged with electric energy that the natural energy around the lightning's path becomes magnetized and drawn to it, condensing it into a much stronger bolt of lightning and giving it the gold tint. The lightning generated by this kekkei genkai is faster, stronger and costs less chakra to manipulate than standard chakra-created lightning. It is not nearly as powerful as natural lightning, but it is certainly in between it and chakra-based lightning in terms of raw power. _Users - Namikaze Minato, Uzumaki Naruto_

**Sekigan - Red Eye: **While not an original creation, this is the unnamed dōjutsu that Ranmaru uses. I figured I'd name it.

**Original Characters**

**_Quick Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Naruto: Shippuden or any Naruto based lore. They are all the property of one Masashi Kishimoto._**


	2. Chapter One: Heritage

_Today is the worst day of my life._

Such were the thoughts of one Uzumaki Naruto, a young blonde-haired academy student who decided long ago that he would wear an orange jumpsuit to catch the attention of every last person on Konohagakure no Sato.

Naruto's day started like any of his others – he woke up, he heated up some ramen, he got dressed, he left for the academy and, of course, arrived late. But today was a special day. This was the day of the Genin graduation exam. For Naruto, it was his _third_ try. He didn't know why, he had no idea why he was completely unable to perform a standard Academy **Bunshin**, but for some strange reason all he created was a pale, sickly version of himself that was unable to stand.

Now, Naruto was not unintelligent in any way. In fact, he was among the most intelligent in the academy. As far as he could tell, his test scores should've been the highest in the class this year. Every single time he would get his test back the grade would always be failing. It pissed him off, especially because upon stealing a glance at Nara Shikamaru's paper, he would note that his answers were almost identical – if not more detailed – than the lazy Nara genius. But Naruto would always fail and his classmates would always pass.

It didn't help that every single girl in the class was head-over-heels for _him. _Ugh. Uchiha Sasuke, the famed Rookie of the Year in the eyes of his entire class. Sasuke had a knack for being good at just about everything. Sure, his academic test scores were just barely above average, but his physical capabilities far outdid those of any of the other members of Naruto's class. And Naruto hated it. He would intentionally show off _just_ to piss him off, and when Naruto would be unable to match him, Sasuke would frown and label him as a _dobe._ Kami, Naruto wanted to annihilate the snot-nosed brooding bastard that Sasuke was.

But it didn't matter how hard Naruto would try.

The Academy instructors hated him. The whole damn _village_ hated him. He had no friends, he had no family, hell, the only reason he was _in _the Academy in the first place was because of the Sandaime Hokage – Sarutobi Hiruzen. Naruto thought of him as his grandfather. But it was all for naught. Naruto's education would constantly be undermined. If he had a question he would be ignored. If he had a problem it wouldn't be fixed. If there was an important lesson he would be sent out of the room for absolutely _no_ reason at all. It infuriated Naruto. He couldn't get anything done. Try as he might, he would never be able to graduate. The only saving grace was his current instructor, Umino Iruka. Naruto looked up to him. They were both birds of a feather. Both were orphans – though Iruka knew his parents before they died. Both had a rather large love of Ramen. Both knew the pain of being alone. But, despite Iruka's best efforts, Naruto still failed the exam. He could perform the **Henge** and the **Kawarimi** to absolute perfection. He could nail eight of the ten targets with kunai. He could answer every question on the written exam perfectly.

But it wasn't enough.

His **Bunshin** would _always_ fail, no matter what he did. He **hated** it. He was never capable of learning what he was doing wrong, and even with Iruka's help, Naruto just _couldn't_ do it. And that was why Naruto found himself in his current predicament. He was running through the woods just outside one of the training grounds, laughing his ass off at what he had just accomplished. He had stolen the Scroll of Sealing from the Hokage Residence, right from under the ANBU Black Op Guardians' noses. It was hilarious how easy it was. As he came to a clearing he stopped. This was where he was supposed to be. There was the hut, just like Mizuki had said. Naruto turned to make sure he was completely alone. He snickered, kneeled down and opened the scroll.

"This is going to be _so _easy! I'll have this technique down in no time!" Naruto remembered the promise that his other instructor, Mizuki, had told him. _All I gotta do is learn one stinking technique from this scroll and I graduate! Aright, let's see… __**Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu**__... Alright, that sounds simple enough._ Naruto rose from his kneeling position and held his hands in the hand seal shown, a cross pattern between his index and middle fingers on both hands. _Alright, let's do this!_

"Uzumaki Naruto! There you are!"

Naruto spun around, his gaze meeting the new arrival. "Iruka-sensei!" Naruto exclaimed. "Are you here to give me my make-up exam?"

"Make-up exam?" Iruka's expression morphed into one of pure concern. "Who told you about this make-up, Naruto?" Naruto looked thoughtful for a moment, tapping his chin. "Mmm… It was Mizuki-sensei… He told me if I could learn one of these jutsu, he'd pass me and I'd be an official genin of Konoha!" Iruka paled. _So, Mizuki is behind this…_

"I see that you're here, Iruka! Glad you could make it!" A barrage of kunai was unleashed in their direction. Iruka barely pushed Naruto out of the way, only to take the entire barrage himself. He spun around, pinned to a small wooden hut that sat in the clearing. Iruka and Naruto both looked up, their eyes fixating upon the figure of Mizuki. "Naruto, quick, give me the scroll!" Mizuki was grinning, a feral gleam in his eye. Iruka grunted in pain as he slowly pulled the kunai out of his body. "Don't… Don't do it, Naruto… Don't listen to him!"

"Shut up, Iruka. This boy here is guilty of stealing a scroll containing Konoha's most valuable kinjutsu! He must be punished!" Naruto's eyes widened. He turned to look Mizuki in the eye. "You said if I could learn at least _one _of these jutsu I'd be able to pass and make it to genin!"

"He lied, Naruto," Iruka muttered. "He lied to you, and he is still lying to you. Don't give him the scroll, no matter what you do!"

"Lying? Pfft, Iruka, don't you think it's a little old using that word? Naruto has been _lied_ to his whole life!" Iruka panicked.

"Mizuki, don't you dare…"

"You want to know why everyone hates you, Naruto? Why no one wants to be around you? Why you're all alone?" Mizuki looked far crueler as the moonlight slowly shifted and revealed his face, bathing it in a pale blue glow. "It's because you have the spirit of the Kyūbi sealed inside you! You _are_ the Nine-Tailed Fox demon!" Naruto's eyes widened. Suddenly, it all made sense. _'Demon brat' _rang in his head. The insults, the glares, everything suddenly became very clear. _It can't be… _Naruto thought. Mizuki began laughing. "And now I'm going to kill you! So long, Kyūbi! _Have a nice trip to Hell!"_ Mizuki unhinged one of the giant shuriken from his holster and threw it as hard as he could. Naruto turned and ran, tripping and falling. _So this is it, huh?_

_"__Naruto, no!"_

The pain of being nailed in the back by the weapon never came. Slowly Naruto opened his eyes, turning around to see what stopped it. His eyes widened when he discovered it was Iruka who had taken the blow. All he could utter was one word. "Why?"

"I failed you… Naruto… I should've been there for you… No one deserves to be alone like you have. We're alike… Both of us. We're orphans. We both grew up completely ignored. We both played class clown for attention… We're the same…" A tear rolled down Iruka's cheek and dripped onto Naruto's. Mizuki's insane laughter filled the clearing once more. "Oh please! Iruka is lying to you _again!_ His parents died when the Kyūbi attacked the village twelve years ago! He _hates_ you! He wants to see you dead as much as I do!" Naruto's eyes widened and tears began to fall. "Don't listen to him, Naruto…"

Too late.

Naruto took off, scroll in hand. Iruka turned to Mizuki. "Dammit, Mizuki! Why are you doing this?!"

"It should be obvious, Iruka. When he killed my fiancé and my family, all those years ago… Hmph. That brat deserves to die. And don't worry, I'll be back to finish _you_ off. I'll make sure everyone knows how the Kyūbi brat went berserk and attacked his instructor, and how I, being the hero that I was, stopped him. Too late to save you, though. Sorry!" Mizuki smirked and took off in the direction Naruto went. Iruka groaned, pulling the shuriken out of his back. _I have to find Naruto before Mizuki does…_

* * *

><p>Naruto could hear the arguing from his hiding spot. Mizuki had just been tricked by Iruka, performing a <strong>Henge<strong> to attempt to lure him off. Mizuki looked disgusted. "Why, Iruka? Why would you defend that _murderer!?_ He killed your parents!"

"I'm not going to let you have that scroll. You'll just use it for your own sick and twisted goals!"

"You're an idiot, Iruka. Naruto and I are one in the same."

"Oh?" Iruka quirked a brow. Mizuki's terrifying laughter filled the new clearing. "Exactly! Where I'd use the scroll to further my own ends, Naruto would use that scroll to unleash his hatred on the village! He'll release the fox and kill us all! And you want to know why, Iruka? Because _that _is what monsters do!"

"You're right." Naruto's expression fell. _Iruka-sensei… Of course he thinks that. He thinks I'm nothing but the fo-_

"That is what a _monster_ would do, but Naruto is not a monster. Naruto is an excellent student! Naruto does everything in his power to try to be accepted. He's brilliant. He's intelligent beyond you or me. And don't think I don't notice how horribly he's been taught. You _all_ undermined him. I've seen his tests. You fail him despite how correct his answers are! If Naruto were properly taught it would be _him _that earned the title of Rookie of the Year! Naruto is a fantastic kid. He knows exactly what pain feels like, what loneliness feels like, but he carries on. He carries on because he is Uzumaki Naruto, a proud shinobi of Konohagakure no Sato. He _isn't_ the damn fox that everyone says he is! He's a hero!" Tears of joy began to stream down Naruto's face. _Iruka-sensei… He accepts me! Iruka-sensei accepts me! And he thinks I'm better than Sasuke-teme! I can't believe it!_

"You know what, Iruka? Fine. You can die _now_ for all I care. Enjoy hell, bastard! I'm sure that's where you're headed for protecting a demon!" Mizuki unhinged his second giant shuriken and readied the killing throw. Iruka frowned. _Is this it for me?_ Before Mizuki could throw it, Naruto leapt out from his hiding spot and tackled him to the ground.

"If you even _think_ of hurting Iruka-sensei," Naruto spat, his chakra swirling and flaring around him as he stood up, "I will _kill _you!" Mizuki cackled maniacally. "You!? Kill me! Hah! You're pathetic, demon brat! I can kill you with a single jutsu! I'm a chūnin, kid! You don't stand a chance!"

"Oh yeah?"

Naruto held up the hand seal he was about to use before Iruka interrupted him. "Well then, lemme show you _exactly_ how wrong you are! I'll beat you down for everything you've done! I'm gonna give it back a thousand-fold! **Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!**" The clearing was suddenly filled with smoke. Iruka started coughing. When the smoke cleared his jaw dropped to the floor. _There's… There's at least a thousand of him! He mastered something considered an A-rank just by looking at it! And to create _this_ many on his first attempt… Naruto, you truly are amazing…_

Mizuki paled. He fell backward and started trying to crawl away, only for him to be stopped by a clone's foot. "Going somewhere?" the clone asked. Another clone started laughing. "I thought you were gonna kill me with a single jutsu! Or are you scared? Scared because I'm about to kick your ass?!" A third clone sneered. "Hey, guys… Let's teach this bastard a lesson! One-Thousand Fists of Fury! Let's go!" Every single clone leapt into action, swarming Mizuki. Screams of pain and agony filled the air as the army of clones each took a shot at him.

_A few minutes of intense beating later…_

Naruto stood alone above a bloodied and broken Mizuki. He was grinning and rubbing the back of his head. "Heheh… I think I may have gone a _little_ too far…" Iruka grinned.

"Not a problem, Naruto. Hey, come here a second and close your eyes." Naruto did as he was told, feeling his signature goggles being taken off his head and something else being wrapped around the vacant spot. After a few seconds, Iruka spoke again. "Alright, Naruto, you can open your eyes." When he did, he noticed the distinct lack of a hitae-ate on Iruka's forehead. He immediately put two and two together and smiled.

"No way…"

"Congratulations Uzumaki Naruto. You pass! You are officially a Genin of Konohagakure no Sato!" Naruto was grinning ear to ear. He couldn't believe it. "Hey, Naruto, we should probably go report to Lord Hokage's office. He'll want to know absolutely everything that has happened tonight. I'm also sure you have a lot of questions for him. And, tell you what, tomorrow I'll take you out for ramen." Naruto's face lit up even brighter.

"Alright!" Naruto and Iruka stood up and left the clearing, Iruka wincing from the pain with every step that he took.

* * *

><p>Naruto hesitantly knocked on the Hokage Office door. He was nervous, and he had many questions for the Old Man. "Enter," he heard. Carefully Naruto opened the door, placing the Scroll of Sealing on the wall next to him, Iruka close behind. The Hokage looked up from his paperwork, a smile forming on his lips. "Ah, Naruto, Iruka, glad you could make it. Word has it that Mizuki had a nasty plot against this village that you officially thwarted, no?"<p>

"How did you-" Hiruzen tapped his orb, interrupting Naruto.

"I can see anything I want in this village, Naruto. All I need do is think of who it is I want to watch."

Naruto hesitated again, formulating the question in his mind that was burning within. "Jiji, be honest with me… Did the Yondaime seal this… thing," Naruto grabbed his gut, "in me because I'm his son? It would make sense, right? He wouldn't want to burden any other families with it, and he would only do something like this to his son… Please, Jiji, don't lie to me. I have to know! It would make me feel better about having this _curse_ placed upon me!"

Hiruzen sighed. _The boy is perceptive, I'll give him that._ Slowly he rose. "Before I answer that, I must know something. Umino Iruka, how would you summarize Naruto's academic experience? Was he taught correctly or poorly?"

"Actually, Hokage-sama," Iruka looked nervous, "to be honest, Naruto wasn't taught _anything_ in the academy. They didn't help him at all. He has so much potential, as seen tonight with his use of the **Kage Bunshin**, but the instructors did nothing to cultivate it. I'm sure that they held a massive grudge against Naruto for being the jailor of the Kyūbi, but it is still no excuse. It is why he is unable to perform a standard Academy **Bunshin**. His chakra is simply too massive and they never instructed him properly on chakra control."

Hiruzen nodded. "I see. Well then, Naruto, as an attempt to correct the massive errors of the Academy, I am going to grant you two things tonight. The first will be private specialized instruction with two of my finest ANBU Black Op Guardians. Hebi-san, Neko-san, please enter." Naruto turned around to see two ANBU Guardians enter the office, one wearing a Snake mask and the other wearing a Cat mask. Hiruzen smiled. "Anything that is said in this room tonight is now classified as an S-rank secret punishable by death. Do you all understand?" Everyone nodded.

"Good," Hiruzen stated. "Now, for my plan. Hebi-san and Neko-san will both instruct you privately. They are both well aware of your heritage already and your burden, and they hold no bias toward you. They will be by your apartment tomorrow at eight o'clock to begin your training. You have a week and a half before the team selection occurs in the Academy. I will be finalizing the rosters this week and consulting with each of the jōnin instructors as to whom they would prefer to instruct." Naruto nodded, a smile gracing his sad features.

"As for your heritage…" Hiruzen's face darkened. "Your parents, Naruto, are the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato, and the daughter of the Uzumaki Clan Leader, Uzumaki Kushina." Naruto's eyes widened. "Let me explain why you were not told, Naruto. In the Third Great Shinobi War, your father single-handedly defeated an entire platoon of shinobi from Iwagakure. Iwa hated the man with every fiber of their being. In fact, Iwa placed a five-hundred million ryō bounty on his head in their bingo book. If they were to discover that he had a child, you would be in grave danger. Additionally, you are Uzumaki Clan Royalty. You are the only living heir to the Uzumaki Clan's leadership."

"The Uzumaki Clan was one of the most powerful clans in the entire world. Their capacity for the art of fūinjutsu was unparalleled. They could do things that no other single human being was capable of, including the greatest feat of Uzumaki Mito, sealing the Kyūbi within herself. She was the first jinchūriki. She was also the youngest daughter of the Uzumaki Clan leader. She had a sister, Uzumaki Tasami. Tasami was the eldest child and heir to the Uzumaki Clan. She married within the clan and had a son, Mōroi. He went on to marry and had his own child, and that child gave birth to Kushina. Kushina was a very strong and brilliant young woman, albeit with a fiery temper and a short fuse. She had near perfect chakra control and rivaled Senju Tsunade with her strength. She was not an Iryō-nin like Tsunade, but she was very capable of the art."

"She was sent here just before the destruction of the Uzumaki Clan's village, Uzushiogakure. She enrolled in the Academy and graduated among the top in her class. The other top graduate was one Namikaze Minato, whom she went on to marry fifteen years after her graduation. She was especially gifted in fūinjutsu and ninjutsu, excelling in the use of any **Katon** and even developed her own taijutsu style to complement her precise chakra control. After Uzushiogakure was destroyed she became the official clan head of the Uzumaki Clan. In this village, that made her royalty. Eventually she was selected to become the next generation of the jinchūriki to house the Kyūbi. She was chosen specifically for her unique and advanced chakra, something you have inherited from her. Kushina loved you with all her heart, and she was very upset that she was unable to raise you. She was killed the night of the Kyūbi attack by the creature itself."

"Namikaze Minato, on the other hand, was a born prodigy. A genius in everything and a master at anything he desired to be, Minato became a jōnin by the age of thirteen. He had two particularly strong chakra natures – lightning and wind. And this is where it becomes incredibly interesting. Minato was the son of Namikaze Ryūtan and Senju Yashira. Yashira was the daughter of Senju Kazami and Kazami was the daughter of Senju Tobirama, the Nidaime Hokage. Naruto, are you aware of what this means?"

"It means…" Naruto said, absolute awe lighting his features. "It means that I'm directly related to three of the village's Hokage! I knew it! I'm _destined_ to be Hokage!"

Hiruzen smiled. "That you are, Naruto. Minato learned fūinjutsu from Kushina. On the night of the Kyūbi attack he had to seal it. The Kyūbi is a bijū, a sentient being of living chakra. These beings feel emotion, think rationally and have unquestionable power. Due to their nature, they cannot be _killed_, only temporarily disrupted. In order to permanently defeat the bijū they must be sealed. Unfortunately Kushina was in no place to have the Kyūbi resealed within her. She was near death as it was. And so he chose you, because he believed that only you could tame the Kyūbi's power. He wanted you to be a hero. He loved you as much as your mother did, Naruto. He wants you to be his legacy. He believes that only you can surpass him."

"Jiji… What happened the night of the Kyūbi attack? I mean, if she was the jinchūriki, how did the Kyūbi escape?"

"When a female jinchūriki is giving birth, the seal that houses the bijū is weakened dramatically. A masked man – claiming that he was Uchiha Madara – knew this. He infiltrated the secret location where she was giving birth and captured her. He released the seal and unleashed the Kyūbi upon the village." Hiruzen frowned. "We do not know where he went or how he got in and out of the village without setting off any alarms. I am sorry, Naruto."

Naruto frowned. "Uchiha Madara… The same Madara that founded the village? He's claiming to be _that_ Madara?!"

"Unfortunately, yes. That is why, Naruto, you must be strong. We must fix the errors of the academy, and that is why Hebi-san, Neko-san and Iruka-san will all train you tomorrow." Hiruzen met Iruka's gaze, noting the absolute awe and surprise contained within. "Iruka-san, tomorrow you will bring books on chakra control, fūinjutsu, unit tactics and political history to Naruto." He then turned to Neko. "Neko-san, you shall work on Naruto's basic ninja skills. Kunai, shuriken, taijutsu, even kenjutsu, if you wish." Finally, he turned to Hebi. "Hebi-san, you shall work on Naruto's chakra control and teach him a few basic jutsu, as well as work on his fitness. Do you all understand?"

All three responded at once. "Hai, Hokage-sama!"

"One last thing," Hiruzen started, opening a drawer in his desk and pulling out a piece of paper. "Naruto, I want to know your chakra nature affinity. This paper is from a special tree fed with chakra from the day it was a seed. If you channel your chakra into it, one of five things will happen. If it splits in half, you are wind natured. If it crumples, you are lightning natured. If it burns, you are fire natured. If it crumbles to dust, you are earth natured. Finally, if it becomes damp, you are water natured. Do you understand?" Naruto nodded. He took the paper and channeled his chakra into it, and Hiruzen's eyes widened at the result – the paper split in two, the first half igniting and the second crumpling. He couldn't help but smile.

"Why, Naruto, it seems you've inherited all three possible chakra natures from your parents! Wind, fire and lightning! You truly _are_ gifted, Naruto."

"Thank you, jiji! I won't let you or my parents down. I'll become a great ninja!"

"I have no doubt you will, Naruto." Hiruzen smiled and ruffled the boy's hair. "Additionally, due to the nature of tonight's events, I am awarding you A-rank mission pay. It will not be placed on your record officially, but I want to thank you for dealing with Mizuki." Naruto smiled and nodded. With that, the group turned and left. Hiruzen sat back in his chair and grinned. _Naruto is going to make you proud, Minato, Kushina. Just watch._

* * *

><p>Naruto woke up at 7:30 the next morning, adrenaline already pumping through his veins. He couldn't wait for what was going to take place today. His first day of <em>actual<em> training! He was so stoked. He had already showered, gotten dressed in his orange jumpsuit and eaten breakfast when the door knocked. He rushed to get it. When he opened it the two ANBU from the previous night were there, sans masks. The very first thing thrown in his face – literally – was a new pair of clothes.

"Put them on, gaki. I'm not going to teach a kid who sticks out like a sore thumb. Granted, the sweatshirt is still orange because I know you like it, but at least it isn't an eyesore jumpsuit."

"Hey! I like orange!"

"Gaki, I'm not going to question what colors you wear when you prank the ANBU headquarters and aren't even caught. Your stealth skills are incredible, but I'm tellin' ya, that jumpsuit is making you look like a moron."

Naruto frowned, but then sighed and rolled his eyes. _At least there's some orange!_ He quickly went to his room and changed. After he was done he quickly looked at his appearance. He had to admit, his new attire actually looked good. The sweatshirt was primarily orange with some black flair on the cuffs and the bottom hem, three black stripes extending from a black collar down each sleeve to the cuff. Underneath the sweatshirt was a mesh shirt, each hem being the same black color as the sweatshirt. He now sported black shinobi fatigues. His new attire was completed with black shinobi sandal-boots that extended from three-quarters of the way up his calf down to his toes. He exited his room and noted the approving glances given to him by his two new instructors.

"You know what'd go good with all of that, Yūgao?"

The purple haired woman, Yūgao, tapped her chin for a moment. "Hmmm… Well, Anko, I think a black headband would work better with Naruto's hitae-ate, instead of the standard blue."

"You're absolutely right! Good thing I have one. Here, gaki!" Anko tossed a black hitae-ate to Naruto, who caught it mid-air and grinned as he replaced his blue headband. Anko grinned approvingly. "_Now _you look like an actual ninja." Naruto nodded.

"So where are we going?" Naruto asked.

"To my favorite place, Training Ground Forty-Four. It's a special training ground reserved for the Chūnin exams, the Jōnin exams, and the ANBU Black Ops as a special training ground. It's _known _as the Forest of Death, but it's not actually all that scary. None of the wildlife is released into it unless one of the exams is taking place. Otherwise they're all sealed in special facilities to keep 'em all nice and healthy." Naruto grinned.

"Alright then, let's go!" The two ANBU turned and began walking, Naruto trailing closely behind. He took this opportunity to fully examine his two new instructors. Yūgao had long purple hair and light skin, her eyes a chocolate brown color and her features delicate. Her standard attire was the ANBU Black Op equipment. Black shinobi clothing was the base, with a gray flak jacket covering her torso. Metal armguards were attached to her wrists, her hands and forearms covered by black gloves. A large katana was strapped to her back, and with her upper arms visible Naruto noticed the ANBU Black Ops tattoo on her right shoulder. She wore the standard ANBU Shinobi Sandals with spikes to aid in mountain climbing. Strapped to her legs were three pouches.

Anko was quite a different story. Her hair – also a violet color – was shorter and spikey, held in a tight ponytail that resembled a fan. Her eyes were a much lighter brown. She elected to wear a mesh body suit that covered the entire area from her neck to her lower thigh, just above the kneecap. Around her neck was a small snake fang pendant. A tan overcoat with a purple in-seam hung from around her shoulders and fell to the area just below her knee. A light brown miniskirt was wrapped around her waist, held in place by a dark blue belt. Her chosen footwear was blue shinobi sandals, her shins protected with steel shin guards. Naruto decided he wanted to break the silence.

"So… Your names are Anko and Yūgao?"

"Yes, Naruto-kun," Yūgao replied. "I am Uzuki Yūgao, and I was trained by your mother prior to becoming a member of the ANBU Guardians."

"And I'm Mitarashi Anko. I didn't know your mother that well, but I knew your father through my sensei. He was a pretty swell guy. Was pretty depressing when he… y'know…"

Naruto nodded. "So you two don't hate me?" The two women looked at each other and started laughing.

"Hate you? Why the hell would we hate you?" Anko asked, still chuckling a bit through her laughter. "In our eyes and the eyes of most of the ANBU, you're a damn hero. The fact you've gone twelve years living under the villagers' hatred and you _haven't_ cracked means you're one hell of a guy. Lemme tell ya, your father would be freakin' proud of you, gaki!"

"Your mother as well," Yūgao added. "She was ecstatic when she discovered her pregnancy. You were named five months before you were born."

"And I'm going to be trained to surpass them?" Naruto asked, hopeful. "I don't want to let either of them down. They gave their lives for me to be given this opportunity, after all." Both women nodded, smiling warmly at him.

"When we're done with you, that _Sasuke_ brat isn't going to be anywhere near able to compete with you. By the way, since you now know your heritage, the Hokage is hoping that you're up for becoming a member of ANBU soon."

Naruto looked at Anko, confusion etched on his face. "ANBU? Don't I have to be at least a Tokubetsu Jōnin to be in ANBU?"

Anko and Yūgao grinned. "He's willing to make an exception for you. The ANBU marker," Yūgao pointed at her tattoo, "will give you unlimited access to any documents you want, freedom from the police and large discounts at any shinobi store. He figures it's the only way to ensure that you don't have a hard time getting everything that you need."

"On top of that, ANBU gets a special payment. He knows you're broke. He wants to give you money but he can't do it without justification. And since the Hokage doesn't need council permission to select ANBU members, you're perfectly fine," Anko quickly chimed in. Naruto grinned at this info.

"Awesome!" That was when he noticed that they had arrived. Training Ground Forty-Four was a huge forest surrounded by a fence. Anko walked up to a gate and unlocked it, ushering them all in. She closed it behind them and locked it back up. She then turned to look at the other two.

"Iruka should already be here…" Sure enough, Iruka popped out of the tree line, three scrolls in his hands. He waved them over, and they followed him into the forest. When they came to a large clearing they stopped. Iruka set down the scrolls and opened them, revealing them to be sealing scrolls. He quickly undid the seals, revealing three stacks of twenty books. Naruto's eyes widened.

"How the hell am I going to read all of that in a week!?" Naruto demanded.

"Easy, gaki. This is why you're extremely lucky to have massive chakra reserves. You know that **Kage Bunshin** you've already mastered? Well, it's considered a kinjutsu for a reason. Anything a clone learns is committed to chakra memory, meaning when it is dispelled you learn anything that it learned." Anko patted him on the back. "That means that you have a style of training that no one in the entire village is capable of, seeing as you have monstrous reserves!"

"What Anko means," Yūgao cut in, rolling her eyes, "is that in order to create even a single **Kage Bunshin** you must have a fairly large reserve of chakra. To create a thousand, like you did last night, requires chakra reserves that dwarf those of even the Sandaime." Naruto's eyes widened even further.

"So… What you're saying is…"

"That you're capable of becoming Jōnin level in a month." Iruka supplied, smiling. "So why don't you create about… mmm… four-hundred clones? Leave sixty here to read these, then send one-hundred and forty with Yūgao, and send the remaining two-hundred with Anko. You'll go with her as well to start doing some physical training. As much as you can learn from clones, physical prowess can only be achieved by you. Chakra memory can't enhance muscles."

"Alright, Iruka-sensei! **Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!**"

The clearing filled with exact replicas of Naruto. Before Naruto could even give out commands the clones began to separate. _I guess I don't need to give orders… They just _know_ what I want them to do. _The real Naruto quickly ran off with Anko and two hundred clones, one-hundred and forty following Yūgao, leaving sixty behind. They each took a book from the pile and began reading them. The books were each on a new subject, ranging from Political History of the five Great Nations to the basics of fūinjutsu. Each clone took to the task with alacrity, opening the book and pouring every last drop of their concentration into the text. Naruto was actually incredibly smart, an intelligence quotient equal to that of Shikamaru. Many people mistook Naruto's pranks for his lack of intelligence, but some of his schemes were so advanced and elaborate that it truly marked how clever and intelligent he was.

Naruto also had spent a lot of time in the library. While he wasn't able to do anything at first, he quickly remedied the situation by using a **Henge** that allowed him to fool the librarian. His vocabulary and grammar were near flawless. His handwriting was perfect. Naruto's capabilities in math encompassed everything from basic arithmetic to advanced calculus. This, of course, led to him being a genius in physics. He had a great range of knowledge that would put many civilians to shame, and Naruto knew this from the day that he began the academy. He loved learning and reading. Sure, he may not read in class, but Naruto was a great academic.

His physical skills didn't leave much to be desired, either. Despite the lack of rudimentary training, Naruto had quickly learned the basics to using kunai and shuriken, as well as ninja wire to set up traps. His basic stealth skills far exceeded those of a high-level chūnin, and as such he was capable of pulling off masterful pranks. His crowning achievement occurred the day before the Genin exam, defacing the Hokage Monument right under everyone's noses.

Honestly he didn't pull pranks to be annoying. The only drive behind his pranks was to get the Hokage to spend time with him. Sure, there was the matter of wanting recognition, but it didn't matter as much as spending time with the closest thing Naruto had to family. Naruto and Hiruzen were quite close. Hiruzen, deciding he wanted his grandson, Konohamaru, to have an older friend, introduced Naruto and Konohamaru at a young age. The two bonded fairly quickly, each becoming a master at pranking. It was together that they had created the **Oiroke no Jutsu**, a technique that Naruto dubbed his _'Anti-Pervert Jutsu'_. Although the technique seemed rather irresponsible and stupid, the actual technique itself was rather impressive. Naruto didn't just create an _illusion_, but he physically changed his body. His **Henge** was near perfect.

As the sixty Naruto clones left with Iruka took to reading, Yūgao divided her hundred and forty into four groups of thirty five, each and every group taking to something different. One group worked on his shuriken technique, another on his kunai, the third on his kenjutsu and a fourth on his taijutsu. One clone in each group would watch the other thirty-four, taking in information and making suggestions based on what he saw. Yūgao was impressed. Naruto was already quite a genius when it came to training.

Anko, on the other hand, was having a lot of fun. Because Naruto's chakra control sucked, she divided the two-hundred that she was in charge of into four groups of fifty. One group was responsible for climbing a tree with chakra, the second was attempting to cut a leaf with chakra, the third set to burning it and the fourth took to crumpling the leaf. Naruto himself was going through physical exercises. Crunches, push-ups, pull-ups on high branches, laps around the forest and using a lone stump as a punching bag, all while wearing heavy weights. To say that all three of his new instructors were impressed with how much energy he had would be a colossal understatement. His energy, his chakra reserves, and his ability to keep pushing himself, were insane.

As the day progressed, Iruka left and returned with takeout from various sources. He brought dango for Anko, of course, while also bringing Ramen from Naruto's favorite place – Ichiraku's – along with various other foods. Meats, vegetables, dairy, Iruka brought it all. He explained to Naruto that he would need to eat a lot more than Ramen to progress faster. As each clone finished a book or scroll, it would dispel itself to relay that knowledge to everyone else. It was comical when one clone finished a book on basic chakra control and dispelled, because almost immediately the clones under Anko's care suddenly adjusted themselves and began rapidly progressing. When another finished a scroll on basic taijutsu katas, the clones practicing taijutsu would quickly adjust. Watching Naruto progress from a talentless Academy student to a potent shinobi in one day was quite impressive.

As the day slowly drew to a close, Naruto was exhausted. Clones dispelled themselves in groups of ten, each relaying new information to Naruto. As he cooled down and ate a dinner that Iruka brought, memories from each and every clone quickly adjusted themselves in his mind. The fact that Naruto hadn't passed out at all was incredible, and the amount of progress he was making was even more remarkable.

* * *

><p>This training regimen continued for the entire week and a half, each day seeing an incredible amount of progress. Naruto's chakra control was highly refined and corrected, his abilities to mold chakra and not waste it nearly perfect. It was almost laughable when Naruto, as a joke, created a standard Academy <strong>Bunshin<strong> that actually worked flawlessly. Iruka had to stifle his own laughter, settling instead for a grin. Naruto learned a basic jutsu in two of his elements – **Katon: Endan** and** Fūton: Daitoppa – **but was unable to learn any **Raiton **jutsu due to the complexity and the level of chakra control required. Naruto wasn't _quite_ there yet.

In addition to his own ninja skills, Naruto learned quite a bit about everything. He learned about advanced tactics and ninja formations from various sources, he learned about political history between the five Great Nations, he learned about the various applications of all chakra, he read about the Great Shinobi Wars – all three that had occurred – as well as any new jutsu that were discovered, and he learned a fair amount of fūinjutsu. One particular thing caught his eye. It was a summary of the high-level enemy jutsu used in the Third Great Shinobi War, and this particular account was written by none other than Namikaze Minato himself.

The report listed running into a group of shinobi from Kumogakure. One of the shinobi, only known as A, used a technique that Naruto found quite interesting. The technique, labeled **Raiton no Yoroi**, created a field of electricity around the user that hyper-stimulated every last nerve in the body, allowing incredibly fast reaction times and increasing the user's speed tremendously. The technique was S-rank without a doubt, something that required incredibly intense chakra control and knowledge of how the element worked. And so Naruto set off to create his own version of it. In his spare time he would attempt to create something similar with his wind chakra, channeling it around himself in an attempt to create a small pocket of air that reduced his air drag.

He failed, miserably.

It was then Naruto decided he would set to reading as much about chakra manipulation and nature manipulation as much as possible. He was _going_ to create this technique. He was _going_ to have his own signature jutsu and he was _going_ to show everyone up. And so he read up on everything related to chakra nature and shape manipulation. He was starting to make a tiny bit of headway, enhancing his arms to have wind behind every punch and his jumps to be much higher. But it was nowhere near battle-ready yet. He had a _long _way to go.

His most impressive feat, however, was mastering the basics and even some of the more advanced aspects of fūinjutsu. He could create sealing scrolls, explosive tags and chakra suppression seals. He was capable of understanding the basics behind how every single seal worked. And this led him to understand the basics behind the **Hiraishin no Jutsu**. Anko, Yūgao and Iruka were all massively impressed that he could even manage to understand it. So when he successfully performed it on a tree that he had marked on the last day of his training, their jaws dropped. Naruto had begun to learn an S-rank jutsu.

So far, Naruto couldn't do much with it. The target had to be stationary and he had to concentrate incredibly hard on where he was trying to teleport to. His chakra control wasn't at the level that it needed to be yet. It wasn't second nature, like it was with his father, but he could at least perform it. He would have to dedicate a large amount of time to understand the more complex workings of the **Hiraishin**, as he realized his inability to perform it as well as Minato also stemmed from a lack of understanding it.

On top of all of this other training, his physical training also drastically improved him. Due to the nature of muscle growth, the accelerated healing of the Kyūbi allowed his muscles to grow at a rate that most shinobi would envy with their entire being. At the start of the boot camp, Naruto had barely been able to perform a hundred pull-ups without breaking into a painful sweat. By the end he could successfully complete five-hundred in the same amount of time. By the end of the week, Naruto was at a level equal to that of a mid to high level chūnin. He was ecstatic at his progress. Constant use of the **Kage Bunshin **also greatly enhanced his chakra coils. His already massive reserves were even bigger.

Currently he was sitting on a tree branch, padding off sweat with a towel. His mesh shirt and sweatshirt had been taken off before he even began his physical training. Anko and Yūgao were both grinning like crazy.

"Well, gaki," Anko cheerfully said, "the week and a half is up. You've come a _long _way since the start, and I have to congratulate your work ethic. While we're not stopping these little training sessions entirely, it is now your responsibility to continue working. We can have a new advanced training session every Sunday, but other than that, your job is to work with the team you get assigned tomorrow."

"On top of that, you've earned the respect of practically everyone in ANBU. They've been watching secretly through the week to track your progress. There is not a shinobi in ANBU who doesn't know the name _'Uzumaki Naruto'_, and I must say that both Anko and I, along with Iruka, are all incredibly proud of you."

Anko looked at Yūgao and Iruka and started chuckling. "Finally, with the body we've given you, those Sasuke Fan Girls will think twice before accusing you of being inferior to him. A six pack in a week and a half? Damn, gaki, if all ANBU could have the same level of regenerative power that you had, we'd be the scariest damn village in the entire world."

Naruto blushed a little bit. He knew that Anko wasn't being sexual, but he could tell what she meant. _Maybe Sakura-chan will actually stop being so mean to me… Wait, who am I kidding? I'm freaking annoying to her! Maybe if I back off a little, try building a friendship instead… Yeah… that would work._ The very thought of having friends, let alone being friends with Sakura, made him smile. "Thank you, all of you… You don't know how much this means to me. I won't let you down, I promise! I'll show the world just _why_ I will be the next Hokage!"

Naruto stood up and looked proud, pulling his mesh shirt and sweatshirt on. It was then that Yūgao chuckled. "You know, Naruto, because you haven't had time to have a haircut this week, you actually look a little more like Minato."

"Huh?"

"Your hair, you have the two bangs framing your face that Minato did. You look like him." Yūgao smiled. "You should keep it like that. The resemblance is uncanny. Also, take off your sweatshirt again, there's something I have to give you."

Naruto did as he was instructed and pulled off his sweatshirt. He watched Yūgao unseal a paintbrush and some black paint from a scroll she retrieved from one of her pouches. He quirked a brow, confusion settling on his face. She smiled and pulled up his right sleeve of his mesh shirt to expose his shoulder.

"I'm giving you the ANBU Marking, just so you can have full access to the things we promised. This paint is laced with a very special chakra that will bind it permanently to your skin. Additionally, it will respond to chakra that is run through it. This marker allows us to contact you when we need you. You'll feel a warm vibration if it isn't urgent, and a very hot vibration if the Hokage's life is in danger. It will also allow you to prove your identity. If you channel your chakra to it, the marker will light up and turn red, proving you are a member of the ANBU. That way shopkeepers can't deny your patronage. And, while it isn't official yet, this marker is also your first step to becoming one of us."

Naruto nodded and smiled. "Alright, do it!" Yūgao carefully and skillfully painted the marker on. After she finished she ran through four quick hand seals and placed her index and middle fingers on the seal. It lit up momentarily and then died down. She smiled.

"It is done. You are now officially connected to the ANBU network. Congratulations, Naruto. I look forward to fighting alongside you."

Naruto smiled and nodded. He then looked back to the other two instructors and grinned. "Well, Iruka-sensei, Anko-neechan, Yūgao-neechan, I have to go. Tomorrow is team selection. I have to rest and get ready! Thanks again for everything!" He spun around on his heel and left, leaving Anko, Yūgao and Iruka to watch him go.

"Naruto is incredible, isn't he?" Iruka asked. Yūgao nodded.

"The incredible fortitude, stamina and chakra reserves of his mother, the incredible intelligence, cunning and determination of his father and the amplification of all of those traits from the Kyūbi… Naruto is going to go far."

"It'll be interesting when the Chūnin exams come along," Anko added. "He'll make quite an impression. Especially if he learns the **Hiraishin** and that new technique he's creating… What'd he call it? **Fūton no Yoroi**?"

Iruka grinned. "Leave it to Naruto to do the unexpected. I'm looking forward to watching his progress." Anko slyly slid her arm around Iruka.

"So, Iruka-kun, you interested in… y'know… goin' to get some dango tonight?" Iruka blushed furiously.

"Uh… Uh… Uhm…"

"Ah come on, Iruka-kun! It'll be so much fun! Let's go!" Anko and Iruka both ran off. Well, Anko ran, Iruka was dragged. Yūgao merely smiled and shook her head at the antics of her two friends. She looked up toward the sky and locked her eyes on the moon.

_Can you see it, Kushina-sensei? Your son… He is becoming the strongest of us. He won't fail you, I know it. Just you watch. Naruto is going to become the next Hokage._

* * *

><p><strong><em>And so ends chapter one! I hope you enjoyed and I hope I can rebuild the fanbase my previous story had. ReviewFavorite/Follow, please! I promise to do better this time =)_**


	3. Chapter Two: Teamwork and Family

**Here is chapter two! I hope you all enjoy it!**

**ZrPx: "Do you think Naruto could make his own Raiton no Yoroi? Or maybe Katon no Yoroi? That might make him incredibly overpowered though :P.**

**Maybe even combinations of the armors, that would be insane. Especially if he combines it with Sage Mode / Nature chakra, and even his Kurama chakra cloak. I'm getting insane ideas just thinking of it.**

**I think you should slow down on his progress though, Jonin level in a month is a LITTLE insane. Especially since the Chunin exams are months away, him being Kage level is kinda a little...yeah." - I am planning on it. However, obviously it won't be complete for some time. There's a difference between completing a jutsu that is already partially started and creating one from scratch, so obviously the new "Wind Release Armor" won't be completed for some time to come. Minor progress here and there, but nothing major until much later on. As for Naruto's progress, Anko was exaggerating when she said that. He wouldn't progress _that_ fast, I promise.**

**Alucard the Crimson ****er: "So when Naruto learns and masters the Hiraishin will he work on learning the Hiraishingiri that Tobirama used to fatally injure and kill Izuna?" - Oh believe me when I say that he will be using the Hiraishin at an even greater level than his father or Tobirama did.**

**Guest: "How would sakura learn that style, i doubt naruto would give his moms style to her" - All in due time.**

**remingtonduke: "I like the way the new story has turned out. Since Naruto has Senju heritage in this story is there going to be a possibility of mokuton?" - Probably not. Or at least not until much later, if I decide to. There will be some insane new jutsu after his training trip, which I have massive plans for. Though, that is a good 10-20 chapters down the road.  
><strong>

**Twisted PxL: "This seems to be better than the other story. At least he doesn't have more than three chakra natures. Now, since he has Katon (Fire Release), Futon (Wind Release) and Raiton (Lightning Release), will he get either Shakuton (Scorch Release) [Katon Futon], or Enton (Blaze Release) [Katon Raiton] bloodlines?**

**I would include Jiton (Magnet Release) because it uses Futon and Raiton, however I think Doton (Earth Release) is part of it too. As Jiton is questionable along with Bakuton (Explosion Release), I don't think these should be added to anyone unless done so in canon.**

**Speaking of Bakuton, I don't understand how it can be made up of Doton and Raiton (got this off Naruto Wiki) when Sasuke neutralized the clay Deidara used with Raiton Release. If it was made up with Raiton, it would be immune to something that could harm it." -Eh, I don't have plans to overload him with kekkei genkai unless it becomes a popular demand. As for Bakuton, I'm actually more inclined to believe it's Doton/Fuuton/Katon. **

**legendary flash: "nice chapter but usage of that many clones give naruto migraine to next week" - Only if he dispels them all at once. If he does it with small groups at a time and he's meditating as he's doing it I doubt he'd have much issue. Besides, the original canon with Naruto in the Rasenshuriken arc seems to show that it is capable for him to do this method easily.**

** cerxer1, Ryusuke Uchiha Senju and jutsinsenju; I will not decide harem one way or another unless it becomes apparent there is a massive following either way, or if I have a good idea as to what I will have the plot based around. It is entirely possible I will use the CRA on Naruto later down the road, but until such point, I'm not sure. And if I do, it won't be a big one.**

**That said, enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

><p>The next day came rather quickly for Naruto. He woke up early and got dressed in his new standard attire, quickly smiling as he looked at himself in a mirror. Yūgao was right. Hide the whisker birthmarks and he looked almost <em>identical<em> to his father. With the A-rank pay he had been given for his hand in the Mizuki issue, Naruto had been able to afford more standard breakfasts. He didn't eat poorly anymore, and as a result, he actually grew a few inches. He grew from his incredibly small four-foot-six to a standard four-foot-nine. Talk about a growth spurt. He suspected, though, that the Kyūbi had something to do with it.

After getting dressed and grabbing the latest book he started to read, he left his apartment. It was actually pretty early. The meeting time at the Academy today was 10:00, and he was leaving to be there by around 9:30. It was no surprise, then, when he showed up and only Iruka was there. He smiled and nodded, to which Iruka replied in kind.

"Good morning, Iruka-sensei." Naruto greeted, warmly.

"To you as well, Naruto. You excited about today?"

"Eh, sort of. I mean, I think I already know my team. I'm definitely going to be on the same team as Sasuke-teme, seeing as he's the highest scorer and I _was_ the lowest. As for the third member, I thought about it a little bit. Strategically the only person who would make sense would be Sakura. Hinata will probably be placed with Kiba and Shino as a tracking unit. The Ino-Shika-Cho combo is pretty successful, so I suspect that they'll be made a team… As for the other twenty-two possibilities, Sakura is the only logical choice. Ami is awful and the rest of the girls in the class were only just above me. And from empirical evidence, it appears it is a two-man-one-female cell that is created."

"Perceptive, Naruto. I'm assuming you came to this conclusion after reading all of those War Strategy books?"

"Mhm! Anyway, I'm gonna go grab my seat. I'm predicting that Sasuke-teme will be here soon."

Naruto walked up to the same row of desks that he always sat in and chose the seat that he always chose. He placed his book on his desk and began reading it. Sure enough, five minutes later, Sasuke walked in. Sasuke was always the one that every single girl in class would fawn over, going head-over-heels to do anything to please him. His skin was pale and his hair was black, and he had the standard onyx eyes of any Uchiha clan member. He wore a blue collared shirt that bore the Uchiha clan symbol on the back – a red fan with a white handle – and white shorts. His footwear was the standard blue sandals. Wrapped proudly around his forehead was the hitae-ate of the academy, blue in color and short in length.

Sasuke quirked a brow as he walked to his standard seat, noting that Naruto was here before him today. He then shook his head, trying to ignore this _new_ Naruto that had come to class today. He sat down and began his standard ritual of looking out the window, hands crossed in front of him in his brooding pose. Naruto didn't even spare him a second glance.

The second to enter the room was none other than the genius of his class, Nara Shikamaru. His normally-bored expression changed to one of confusion as he spotted Naruto.

"Yo, Naruto… Didn't think you passed. Why're you here?" he asked, emotion actually noticeable in his voice.

Naruto replied only by pointing at his hitae-ate and went back to reading. Shikamaru shrugged and walked to the back of the class, leaning back in his chair and falling asleep. Shikamaru wore nearly the same style as Naruto did – a green-lined mesh shirt under a gray jacket outlined in green, brown pants, blue shinobi sandals and a blue hitae-ate wrapped around his left arm. His bored expression was only amplified by his facial structure and features. Shoulder-length black hair held in a spiky ponytail, one reminiscent of a pineapple, small brown eyes and an expression that read _'Hello world, I'm bored, let me sleep.'_

As the rest of the class filed in they all stared in shock at Naruto. He could hear the whispering. _'Didn't he fail? Why's he here?', _or _'Wow, he's not such a dweeb. He's not wearing that awful orange jumpsuit!' _and _'Holy crap, is that a book!?'_ He couldn't help but grin a little at the attention he was receiving. And then his grin fell when he heard something akin to a stampede quickly approaching the door. It a perfectly standard occurrence, but he still hated it. _Alright, they'll get here in 3… 2… 1…_

Two girls burst through the door. One with pink hair, the other with platinum blonde hair, but both with the same intentions.

"Hah! Beat you, Forehead!"

"Not on your life, Pig! My foot was through the door first!"

"Not even close!"

"Yeah we-… What the hell? Is that Naruto!?"

Both girls quickly looked at Naruto, absolute confusion written on their faces. Before they could even ask the question he pointed at his hitae-ate. Iruka smiled a little bit, noticing they were the final two members to arrive. He stood to make his announcement.

"Naruto is here because I administered a retest on my own. As it turns out, there was some _incorrect _grading on Naruto's exam, and as such, his final results were actually passing. It was a mistake, he is here because he is supposed to be. Now, Ino, Sakura, find your seats."

Sakura approached Naruto, a determined fire in her eyes. "Alright, baka, move! I want to sit next to Sasuke-kun!"

Naruto shrugged and scooted forward, much to the shock of Sakura. "Wait… You're not going to… even bother trying to… insult him or stop me?" she asked, clearly bewildered.

"I've been nothing but a moron the entire year. I've only succeeded in pissing you off. I realized last night that I didn't want to be someone you found annoying, I just wanted to be your friend. That is why I am hoping we can start over, and why I'm not going to do anything to annoy you any longer. Plus, there's a very large possibility of you being on the same team as me and Sasuke, and it wouldn't be in my best interest to have my teammates hate me." Naruto looked up from his book to see the wide-eyed Sakura staring at him. She shook her head and moved in, sitting in the seat between him and Sasuke.

"I _must_ be in an alternate dimension. What happened? You're not wearing that stupid orange jumpsuit anymore… You're not… What? And what is that you're reading?" she asked, her mind reeling. To be honest, the whole class was in the same state. Everyone was wondering one simple thing. _Has Naruto gone mad?_

Naruto smiled as she asked her questions. "Well, to answer your first question, I grew up. I realized playing around isn't going to get me anywhere and I need to start taking things seriously. To answer your second question, nope! I decided to start wearing something that is actually functional in battle. This sweatshirt isn't too thick and it isn't too thin. The mesh shirt keeps me from overheating. The pants give me greater range of motion when I'm running. To answer your third question, this book is the _Advanced Relative Physics behind Fūinjutsu_ _Volume II,_ written by Uzumaki Tanara. I discovered I had a knack for it this past week."

Sasuke again quirked a brow, studying Naruto fully. _He's… actually taking it seriously? Hn, maybe he won't be a hindrance then. And if he _is_ on my team and actually acts like a shinobi, maybe he and I can be true rivals and I can get strong enough to defeat _him._ That'd be nice…_ Sasuke frowned at the thought of his brother, Uchiha Itachi. _Don't be making this all one giant prank, dobe. You'd better be serious._

Naruto shifted his gaze from Sakura to Sasuke. "Ne, Sasuke? I was wondering something. Could we actually be friends? You didn't do anything wrong, I was just jealous, I guess. It isn't my fault you worked your ass off to be the best in class."

Sasuke was actually stunned. "Friends? Dobe, I thought you hated me."

"Well, I did. But then I realized I was being stupid. Plus, I realized you have a true drive behind everything. I want to help you accomplish your mission."

The entire class was silent. _Did Naruto just ask Sasuke to be friends?_ _No, it couldn't be…_

Sasuke actually chuckled, a smile gracing his normally-brooding features. "Y'know what, Naruto? What the hell, if you want to help, sure. We can be friends. But we're also still rivals, and I'm still going to kick your ass at any chance I get to improve."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

Sakura and Ino were dumbstruck. They both looked at each other and, at the exact same time in perfect sync, asked the same question. "What the hell world are we now living in?"

Iruka smiled at the sudden shift in Naruto's attitude. _Good to see you're making friends now, Naruto. Keep at it!_ Iruka quickly cleared his throat. "Alright, class, settle down. All shocking occurrences aside, I now have to hand out team assignments. These assignments were made by the Hokage and the jōnin instructors that will be taking you. Each team has a certain specialization and focus, and those of you who did well on the strategy tests will know exactly why the teams are set up the way they are. Now, Team One…"

Iruka began listing off the names of the team assignments and explained what their roles were, based on the strengths and weaknesses of each team. Team One was infiltration, Team Two was reconnaissance, Team Three was assault, Team Four was tracking, Team Five was support, and Team Six was also support.

"Team Seven," Iruka began, "Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto. Your jōnin instructor will be Hatake Kakashi. Your primary purpose is front-line assault."

Sakura was thrilled and Ino was pissed. _I'm on the same team as Sasuke-kun! Yes!_ Her attention then shifted to Naruto. _And… new Naruto… I wonder if he actually meant what he said about being serious… I mean, if he has the same drive as Sasuke-kun, this team could be the best out of our entire graduating class._

**_Shānnarō! We beat Ino-pig!_**

"Team Eight," Iruka continued, "Aburame Shino, Hyūga Hinata and Inuzuka Kiba. Your jōnin instructor will be Yūhi Kurenai. Your primary purpose is tracking. Team Nine is still in circulation from the previous year, so Team Ten, Akimichi Chōji, Nara Shikamaru and Yamanaka Ino. Your primary purpose is infiltration _and_ reconnaissance. With team assignments complete, you will all be collected by your jōnin instructor in the next half-an-hour. Congratulations to all of you, and best of luck!"

* * *

><p>Two hours later, Team Seven remained in the same room. Sakura was pacing, impatience increasing exponentially with each step. Naruto took this time to subtly admire her. Sakura had very long pink hair that fell down to her mid back. Wrapped around her head was the standard blue hitae-ate of the academy in sort of a headband style. Her apparel consisted of a red qipao dress with a white circle decorating her back, tight green shorts and standard blue shinobi sandals. Her most striking feature was her soft jade eyes. Naruto could stare at them for hours and never be bored. Of course, with his very precarious position with Sakura at the current moment, Naruto decided against staring. He was also slowly realizing his crush on her was… to be honest, silly. Sure she was cute, but he was realizing she wasn't his type.<p>

_I wonder what I was thinking…_ he wondered idly. _Is it just because she was an outcast? _He thought through it for a second, and then reached a conclusion. _That's it. That's why I was so drawn to her. Because neither of us fit in and we were being made fun of for something out of our control. Her forehead and… Well, the Furball. Kindred spirits, I guess. But then she made friends. Heh, I was so naïve._

He did smile, though, as he finished his book. As he set it down he looked up and noted Sasuke was also twitching with impatience. "Looks like our sensei is lazy. Kind of him to let us know now, though."

"What do you mean, dobe?"

"Well, it just means that if he gives us a time to be somewhere, we can account for him being this late as a standard thing. That means we can have more time to prepare."

Sakura turned to stare at Naruto. "Well that's… perceptive… I didn't think about that…" She was actually impressed that he had been so calm and collected to come to that conclusion. _Is he really growing up?_ _If this were normal Naruto he'd have prepared a prank by now… _she idly wondered.

Her thoughts were interrupted as the door slid open, revealing a man with gravity-defying silver hair and a face that only revealed one eye. Before he could even say anything, Naruto spoke up.

"Tch, and you're our jōnin instructor? How unprofessional. If this were a mission and we were waiting for you at a rendezvous point, we could've been killed if you didn't show up on time."

Sasuke and Sakura both looked incredulously at Naruto. _Did he just insult a jōnin?_

The man smiled. "Well, I see you already take things seriously, then! My first impression of you guys is that you actually have the possibility of being shinobi. Meet me on the roof in five minutes." With that he disappeared. Naruto stood and walked for the door. He turned and looked at the two frozen figures of his teammates. "Well? You two coming or not?" They both nodded dumbly and stood to follow him.

The three genin arrived on the roof three minutes later to the sight of their jōnin instructor, Hatake Kakashi, leaning back against the low wall with an orange book in his hand. Sakura noticed Naruto twitch a little bit. She wondered why, for a second, and then noted the title. _Icha Icha Fantasy_. The Pervert's holy bible. She twitched too, completely unimpressed.

Kakashi looked up from his smut and shut his book, smiling. Or at least, they assumed he was smiling with how his eye was closed. "Good! You're all here. Why don't we start by introducing ourselves? Tell us what you like, what you dislike, what your hobbies are and what your biggest dream is."

Sakura raised her hand. "Can you give us an example, sensei?"

"Alright," he nodded. "My name is Hatake Kakashi. I like some things and dislike others. What I enjoy doing is none of your concern, and I have a few dreams, I suppose."

Sakura blanched. "You… What… But… ARGH! That's no introduction! All we learned was your name!"

Kakashi smiled again. "Alright, you first, blondie." Naruto stood.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I like ramen, Anko-neechan, Yūgao-neechan, Iruka-sensei, fūinjutsu, reading and gardening." This caused Sasuke and Sakura to both do a double-take. "I dislike perverts, people who don't show up on time, arrogance and the three minutes it takes to make instant ramen. I enjoy training, reading, gardening, studying and pulling pranks." Sakura and Sasuke both frowned, assuming he hadn't changed based on his love of pranks still being prevalent. "And my dream is to become Hokage, so that I may protect everyone in this village and make everyone happy."

Kakashi smiled with his eye. "Impressive introduction, Naruto!" Inwardly, Kakashi was applauding him. _Sensei, your son is already so mature. I can't wait to see what he can do. _He turned and pointed at Sakura. "Alright, your turn."

Sakura stood up. "My name is Haruno Sakura. I like…" she trailed off and glanced at Sasuke, giggling a little bit. "My dream is…" again, she trailed off and glanced at Sasuke. "My hobbies are reading and shopping," a third glance at Sasuke, trying to gauge a reaction. "And I dislike…" she thought a moment, realizing that she couldn't say _'Naruto' _after the maturity he displayed. "I dislike perverts and Ino-pig!"

Naruto was surprised when she didn't blurt out his name. Kakashi, however, was unimpressed. _So, she's one of _those_ girls… I'll have to break her of that. Now all I can hope is that Sasuke is slightly sane._ He glanced at Sasuke. "Alright, now you."

Sasuke stood as Sakura sat down. "My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I don't like much, and I hate a lot of things. I enjoy training until I can't train anymore, and I don't really have a dream because it _will _becomea reality. I _will_ restore my clan and kill… a certain someone…" Sakura was giddy with how cool he sounded. Kakashi was quite the opposite.

_A self-proclaimed avenger so young? Hm… At least Naruto is displaying a level of maturity that I can work with. Maybe he can help me. That leaves two people that need to be seriously broken._ Kakashi returned his attention to his team. "Alright, you three. With introductions out of the way, tomorrow will be our first mission. It's a survival training exercise. Be at Training Ground Three tomorrow morning at eight o'clock. Oh, and, don't eat breakfast. If you do, you'll puke. Ja ne!" Kakashi waved and disappeared in a **Konoha-Shunshin**, leaving the three genin on the roof. Sakura turned to Sasuke.

"Hey, Sasuke-kun, would you like to-"

"No." The interruption was immediate, and he jumped off the rooftop, presumably heading in the direction of the Uchiha Clan Compound. Sakura turned to ask Naruto what he was doing but he, too, was gone. _What the hell? He didn't even ask me out again! Not that I'd say yes, of course, but still… What happened to him?_

* * *

><p>Naruto arrived at Training Ground Forty-Four to a peculiar sight. Anko and Yūgao were both there, but there was a third individual whom he did not recognize. The man looked older, maybe in his mid-fifties, with a large white spiky mane of hair wrapped in a ponytail that extended all the way down his back. His chosen attire was a short olive-green kimono jacket and same-colored pants, a mesh body-suit peeking out from his sleeves and pant legs, a red sleeveless haori decorated with two yellow dots and wooden geta on his feet. Strapped to his back was an incredibly large scroll. As Naruto got closer he noticed the man's face. Resting atop his forehead was a full-metal hitae-ate, two horns protruding from either side of a kanji, 油, written in the center, the kanji for <em>'Oil'.<em> The man had two red lines painted from his eyes down to his jawline. On the left side of his nose was a rather large wart. The man turned as Naruto approached.

"Ah, and here he is! Wow, he looks exactly like Minato! Like father, like son, I suppose."

"Who are you?" Naruto asked, caution in his steps as he drew closer.

The man smirked and turned around fully in a heroic pose. "I am Jiraiya the Gallant, the Toad Summoner, the Great Sage of Myōbokuzan and one of the Legendary Sannin!"

Naruto quirked a brow, clearly unimpressed. "Okay then, 'Jiraiya', why are you here and how do you know who my father is?"

Jiraiya depanned. "I was your father's sensei! I knew him from the day he graduated the academy at ten years old to the day he died. I'm also _your_ godfather. Before you ask why I didn't make myself more known to you, I run the spy network for Konoha. The intel I gather is important." He huffed a little bit, beginning to pout. "That, and when I demanded that I be able to raise you twelve years ago, Hiruzen denied me, saying it would be best if your identity were kept hidden until you were responsible enough to not shout it to the world and make it a big deal. Which, I suppose, was two weeks ago."

"Ugh… Damn this whole 'secret' business. While I'm not mad at anyone, I'm still hurt that you all thought I was irresponsible."

Yūgao quirked her own brow. "You're right, Lord Prankster. You were _entirely_ responsible." The sarcasm was almost visible.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Alright, doesn't matter. What does matter is why you are here now…"

Jiraiya grinned. "I'm here to train you like I did your father! First thing's first though, you have to sign something."

"What is it?" Naruto asked.

Jiraiya detached the scroll from the hooks on his back and unrolled it. "This is a Summoning Contract. Specifically, it is the contract for the Toads up on Myōbokuzan. As you probably noticed, your father signed this as well. All you gotta do is sign this with your blood using your dominant hand." Naruto nodded and bit his right thumb. He knelt down and quickly signed in the spot next to his father's name. _うずまき__-__波風__ナルト__ – __Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto._ Jiraiya smiled. "To be honest, Naruto, I fully expected you to hate me for not being around."

Naruto shrugged. "Hate is a useless emotion. What matters is that you're here now. Besides, after reading everything on the Third Great Shinobi War, I completely understand why no one told me who my father was and why you had to keep your distance. I can't hold a grudge when all you did was keep my best interests in mind. Besides, by deciding you want to train me, you've already done more than enough to make up for it." He glanced up to meet Jiraiya's gaze and smiled warmly. "_And_, I remembered exactly where I knew your name from! That is why, to get revenge, your new title is _Ero-sennin!_"

Jiraiya blanched. Yūgao began to giggle a little bit. Anko was busting up. Yūgao patted Jiraiya on the back. "Hey, it fits. You _do_ write that smut that _every_ male shinobi is so obsessed with." Jiraiya sighed and slumped, defeated.

"Whatever… No one respects me anymore…" Jiraiya perked up and smiled at Naruto. "Alright, all introductions aside, I want to see what you can do. I'll gauge my training regimen based on what you are capable of." Naruto nodded and walked a little bit further back, giving a respectable distance to start the spar.

"Whenever you're ready!" Naruto called. Jiraiya smiled and nodded.

"Go."

Naruto was a blur of motion, immediately rushing forward to meet Jiraiya in a taijutsu match. His first blow was blocked. He then turned the momentum of his charge into a spin, bringing his leg around for a roundhouse kick to his opponent's left side. Jiraiya saw the kick and grabbed Naruto's leg, swinging him around and throwing him. Naruto flipped in midair and landed on his left leg, springing forward. His left uppercut was met with a block again from Jiraiya, his right jab dodged. Jiraiya was smiling.

"Well, your taijutsu is basic Academy garbage, but you make it work! If you were to go up against someone of your rank you would dominate them. Let's see some of your ninjutsu now."

Jiraiya swung around again and threw Naruto much farther off this time. Naruto was already performing the Clone Hand Seal. "**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!**" Another Naruto appeared, quickly perfoming a hand seal sequence. The original was also running through a chain.

"**Katon: Endan!**"

"**Fūton: Daitoppa!**"

The clone's **fūton** met with the original's **katon**, creating a giant firestorm that surged toward Jiraiya. He grinned and performed his own hand seal sequence, slamming his hand into the ground upon its completion.

"**Doton: Doryūheki!**"

A large wall of earth rose from the ground. The flaming maelstrom collided with the wall and fizzled out, adequately blocked by Jiraiya's jutsu. _I had to throw in a fair amount of chakra into that technique,_ he mused. _Naruto sure knows how to use his clones to collaborate well._ His thoughts were interrupted when four copies of Naruto appeared before Jiraiya, immediately pulling him back into a taijutsu match. _His clones work together perfectly! _Jiraiya was actually having to put in effort to block the onslaught of punches, jabs and kicks. _They are perfectly collaborating their strikes with each other… He can create a perfectly synced team… Amazing!_

The clones all leapt back, throwing multiple shuriken as they back flipped through the air. Jiraiya paled and his eyes widened as the shuriken cloud multiplied from twenty-five to a five hundred in the blink of an eye. **_Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu_**_! He can already perform that!?_ Jiraiya focused quickly on a nearby log and performed a **Kawarimi**, leaving the log to take the full force of five hundred shuriken. _If I reacted even a second slower I would've been mincemeat. _He stood from his hiding spot and began applauding Naruto.

"Well done," he called. "Had I been an inferior opponent, you would've killed me outright. I'm surprised that you can so effortlessly use the **Kage Bunshin** to that extent. Your training really worked!" Naruto grinned as he dispelled his clones. Jiraiya continued, "And, it is for this reason that I believe you can reach a level that your father achieved in half the time that he did. I haven't even taught you anything yet and I'm already proud of you. Your taijutsu is garbage, but you make up for it with superior ninjutsu. Like father, like son, I suppose!"

"Aww, thanks Ero-sennin!" Jiraiya's eye twitched, but he calmed down.

"Alright, well, after that small little spar I'm a little hungry. You interested in grabbing some food? It's pretty late already, so I'll be dropping you off at your home after we eat." Naruto noted the sky. It was pretty orange already, signaling that night was quickly approaching. Naruto nodded.

"Wait, before we go, why didn't you test my genjutsu?" While Naruto wasn't upset, he was also curious. He hated genjutsu, as it was his worst jutsu.

"Well, considering you have far greater than Kage level reserves and probably haven't been taught proper genjutsu – releasing it _or _creating it – I'd wager that it wouldn't matter. Besides, all I need to teach you is how to break it. You don't strike me as the genjutsu type." Jiraiya explained logically. Naruto nodded, satisfied that Jiraiya already seemed to know his strengths and weaknesses. "So, where do you want to go get food?"

"Let's go to Ichiraku's! I haven't had Ramen from that heavenly ramen stand in ages! And you're right, I gotta get home early tonight. I'm doing some survival test with Kakashi-sensei tomorrow."

"Kakashi?" Jiraiya inquired. "Interesting! Kakashi was your father's student. Very interesting. And I bet I already know which test it is… Regardless, I'm not telling you about this test. That's for you to figure out." Naruto sighed, his immediate question already squashed. _Oh well, _he thought. _At least I get some free Ramen tonight!_

* * *

><p>Naruto stuck to his own advice the next morning and planned on being at the training ground an hour and a half later than Kakashi had told them. He arrived to a very pissed off Sakura and an indifferent Sasuke.<p>

"Why are you so damn late, baka!?" she immediately demanded.

"I don't see Kakashi-sensei around here anywhere, do you? Besides, I warned you that he was going to be a lot later."

Sakura's shoulders slumped. He had a point. Naruto grinned, "Besides, you're gonna thank me later for this." He pulled out a sealing scroll and released the contents, revealing a very nice bentō for each of them. Sakura's eyes widened.

"But he said not to eat!"

"He said not to eat in order to weaken us. Survival is about being in top condition. I've already eaten, and I can guarantee that Kakashi's test will involve food for whoever performs the best. He's trying to gauge how prepared we are for missions." Sakura sighed. _Point number two, today… The baka is actually not much of a baka… Is it possible that I got paired with two of the strongest shinobi of our class?_

**_Shānnarō! That means Ino-pig will be super jealous! We'll kick her ass!_**

Sakura took one of the bentō boxes and began to eat the contents, surprise gracing her features as she realized just how _amazing_ it tasted. "Naruto, did you make this?" she asked, hesitantly. When he nodded her jaw hung agape. "You… can cook? This well? Since when?"

"Since I read a book on cooking a while back. Sasuke, you hungry?"

"No…" his stomach growled, revealing his lie. "…yes." Naruto gladly handed his second bentō to Sasuke, who also found very quickly that it tasted delicious.

"I made sure to provide everything you need – carbohydrates, proteins and vitamins." He looked up to judge the sky. "Kakashi-sensei should be here in a few minutes. I'm going to take a wild guess and assume that, whatever it is that he is planning, he's just going to be testing our capability for teamwork. Just a hunch."

"What makes you say that?" Sasuke asked, coolly.

"Mmm… Well, the main thing about a shinobi team from Konoha is the teamwork aspect. If we suck at teamwork, we'll more than likely get killed off very fast. Acting like a lone wolf may sound appealing, but it only gets you killed faster. The most successful shinobi teams are the ones that work together perfectly. The best example I can think of off the top of my head are the Densetsu no Sannin."

Sasuke frowned. _I have to rely on a team? Dammit, I'm already hating this whole 'genin' team thing. Naruto seems to have gotten his act together… But Sakura… Damn, she's so weak! All that time spent fawning over me could've been used in training. She's going to hold _both _of us back if she doesn't get her act together as well. _Sakura noticed Sasuke was looking at her and she blushed. Sasuke's frown deepened. _Damn my rotten luck. I just hope Naruto and I can pull her weight…_

"Is something wrong, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked sweetly.

"Yeah, I'm just thinking about the whole 'team' thing. If Naruto is right, then Sakura, you're dead-weight in your current state. All that time that you and Ino spent fawning over me has crippled you both. You're weak." Pain flashed across Sakura's face.

"Sasuke-kun…"

"Don't _'Sasuke-kun'_ me, it's true! Naruto knows it. I know it. Kakashi-sensei knows it. You're absolutely worthless to this team in your current state. Let me make one thing _really _clear; I have no interest in you, nor Ino, nor Ami, nor anyone. I won't ever be interested in _any_ romance until my goal is complete and I have avenged my clan. And even so, I wouldn't be interested in you, anyway. You're submissive. You're shy. You don't form your own opinions, you blindly cling to mine. _Grow up, _Sakura. This isn't a game. We're shinobi now. You can't continue to assume that your own opinions and contributions don't matter."

Tears began to well up in Sakura's eyes. Sasuke hated himself, slightly. But he was glad that he said it. In truth, he didn't want to bring up her physical appearance. He just didn't find her attractive. Period. And her personality left a lot to be desired. Yeah, she could become confident. Yeah, she could become strong. But it wouldn't matter. Sasuke knew that, deep down, even if he wanted to, he couldn't. He would need to find someone who provided something for his future progeny. He'd more than likely be shoved in the Clan Restoration Act when he was older. Kami, the thought of it made him cringe.

Naruto, on the other hand, was livid. "Sasuke-teme, why the hell would you say that?"

"I'm trying to spare her feelings, Naruto. I want her to realize _now_ that I'm just not interested. I care about her, yeah, but in the sense that she is a teammate. She needs to focus on herself. You and I both know that, in the event we're on a life-threatening mission, we can't protect her. Hell, Naruto, she _diets!_ What self-respecting kunoichi diets?!"

"It doesn't mean she's weak! She has incredible potential! You saw her chakra control in the academy, imagine what she could do!"

"Yeah, she has incredible _potential_, I agree with you on that. But she needs to _train_ to unlock that power! I have no doubt in my mind that she could be an amazing kunoichi, but it doesn't matter if she spends all her time worrying about her hair and her nails and her figure." Sasuke then turned to catch Sakura's eye. "Look, Sakura, I don't mean to be rude or harsh or hurtful. I just don't want you to waste your life trying to get into mine. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings, but we can't afford to act like we did in the Academy. Naruto has proven that much to me." Sasuke then turned back to Naruto. "Besides, Sakura… Naruto and I know that, deep down, you're capable of being one of the strongest kunoichi of our class. You just have to work for it."

Sakura wiped her eyes. "But how do I do that?" she asked, dejectedly.

"You train. It's that simple. You train and you train more until you can't physically move. And that's when you train even harder. I'm sure Naruto would be more than willing to help."

Sakura turned to face Naruto. "Why would he want to help me? I've treated him like dirt. He probably hates me."

"I could never hate you, Sakura-chan," Naruto cut in. "You were just following what every other girl was doing. I'm not going to blame you for that. It's all water under the bridge. What matters is that we're a team now, and as teammates, it is our responsibility to look out for each other.

Sakura's sadness faded as she was entranced by Naruto's cerulean eyes. _Naruto really is a stand-up guy,_ she realized. _I mean, I'm still not really interested in him like that, but he could be a really good friend._ She cracked a smile. "Thanks, Naruto… And, I'm sorry, Sasuke. I'll leave you alone from now on."

"You don't need to leave me alone, you just need to get over that unrealistic fangirl crush." Sasuke clarified.

"Am I interrupting something?"

The genin all jumped, turning to face Kakashi. Sakura was the one who broke the silence. "You… You're… How long were you standing there?"

"Long enough." Kakashi seemed thoroughly amused. Sakura glowered.

"You're also massively late. What the hell!? You're supposed to be our sensei!"

"I'm sorry, I got lost on the road of life!" Kakashi 'eye-smiled', but then began to sweat when he saw the furious expressions of his students. "Right, then… Uhm, let's see… So, today's survival test is going to be the Bell Test. This test has a sixty-six percent failure rate, meaning _only nine_ genin will pass." Kakashi withdrew two bells from his pouch and hung them loosely from his fingertips. He then took both bells and tied them to his belt. "The goal of this test is to get one of the bells by the time the timer goes off, which I will set for twelve o'clock. If you don't get a bell by that time I will tie you to one of those three posts," Kakashi pointed to three wooden posts off in the distance, "and eat your lunch in front of you." He waited, as if trying to listen for the distinct growling of stomachs. Naruto grinned when it never came.

"I caught on to the point, Kakashi-sensei. You were trying to weaken us. Too bad. You had us fooled yesterday, but I decided to go ahead and follow my instincts. I brought Sakura-chan and Sasuke some food."

"Well then, Naruto," Kakashi smiled again, "it seems you have all the potential makings of a true squad leader! Always looking underneath the underneath. I'm proud of you! Anyway, like I said, get one of the bells and-"

Sakura interrupted. "But sensei, there's only two…"

"That's right, Sakura! Those who get bells pass. Those who don't… Well, I hope you don't mind another year in the Academy." Suddenly, Kakashi's smile seemed incredibly evil, and it felt ten degrees colder on the field. Naruto sighed. Sasuke coughed. Sakura twitched. Kakashi examined them all. He quickly noted Sakura's bloodshot eyes. _She was crying before this… I only hope it wasn't for a damaging reason._ He then noted her quick glances over toward Naruto. _Something good must have happened… I hope…_ He cleared his throat. "Alright, then. Like I said, twelve o'clock. Ready? Begin!"

As he told them to begin, Sakura and Sasuke immediately disappeared, leaving Naruto standing plainly in front of him. Kakashi quirked a brow. "You know, you're a little odd, aren't you?"

"Mmm, not really. I mean, honestly, you can't expect us to be able to hide from a _jōnin_, do you? You know exactly where Sasuke and Sakura are. Besides, I want to get to know my father's student a little better."

Kakashi's eye widened. "You know?"

"I do. I found out the night of the Mizuki incident. I haven't told anyone else, other than those who know already. Seeing as you were taught by my dad, it only figures that you'd be fully aware of my heritage. Plus, your hair was visible behind that dog mask in ANBU. You were always the one who protected me when I was younger." Naruto smiled. "Thanks for that, by the way. Regardless, I'm gonna at least try to prove to my teammates that I know what I'm doing. They'll be more prone to trusting me if they see what I'm capable of." Naruto's left leg slowly shifted back as he settled into a taijutsu stance. "No hard feelings, sensei! **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!**" Five copies of Naruto appeared in a cloud of smoke next to Naruto, four of them rushing to meet Kakashi in a taijutsu match.

The clones' movements were precise and calculated, each and every one nearly landing a solid blow onto Kakashi. Kakashi wasn't a jōnin for nothing, though, and so he effortlessly blocked each and every strike. He couldn't help but smile at how advanced his student was already. In the bushes, Sakura and Sasuke could only watch in awe as the clones slowly backed Kakashi toward the river. They both knew he sucked at making clones, yet here he was, creating multiple solid clones that were actually forcing their Sensei back.

Kakashi was having to use both hands. However, he was thoroughly enjoying this little spar. _So much for catching up on my reading,_ he mused. _This is far more entertaining, though._ His eye widened as he felt a sudden spike of chakra. He broke his stance as the four clones in front of him flipped away, each hurling a kunai at him. He deflected them and turned his attention toward to source of the chakra spike. It was the original and a clone of Naruto, each performing a separate jutsu.

"**Katon: Endan!**"

"**Fūton: Daitoppa!**"

Kakashi was about to use his own technique to counter the massive wall of fire surging toward him, but he realized very quickly he couldn't do it. The other four clones had elected to throw shuriken at him, which immediately multiplied to create a giant cloud of shuriken that was flying through the air to his location. He gulped.

Naruto smiled as everything met their mark. _He used a **Kawarimi** to escape, but I don't care. That at least shows that he can't mess with me, and will inspire Sakura-chan and Sasuke to follow my lead._ Sure enough, a sudden burst of smoke revealed a _very _charred log, completely perforated with shuriken. Naruto turned to one of his clones. "Go find Sasuke and come up with a plan. I'll tell it to Sakura once you two decide."

"What about us?" the other four Naruto clones asked. The original thought for a second. "Search the forest. Try to locate Kakashi-sensei. If you find him, _do not act._ Observe him from a safe distance."

With that the clones broke off with their individual tasks. Naruto turned and ran to find Sakura.

* * *

><p>Sasuke was frowning. <em>Since when did the dobe get <em>that_ good? Have I been slacking, or has he just stepped it up a notch? Hn, I guess I have to give him a **little** respect now… Regardless, he's going to have to help me get stronger._ Sasuke felt a sudden presence behind him and he whirled around, only to come face-to-face with Naruto.

"Yo, Sasuke, we need to come up with a plan. I'm _sure_ this is all just a trick to try and split us up. He just wants to judge our teamwork."

"Tch, again with the teamwork… Oh well, whatever, fine, it's clear you know what you're doing. Sort of." Sasuke admitted the last part a bit grudgingly.

"Alright, here's the plan. You and a few clones are going to slowly push him to the edge of the forest where Sakura-chan and I will be waiting. We're going to distract him as long as possible and try to allow Sakura-chan to sneak in and grab the bells. He won't suspect it if we're both pounding away hard enough at him."

Sasuke reluctantly agreed. "How are you going to tell this plan to Sakura in time?"

"Easy, I'm a **Kage Bunshin**. Anything I learn will be transferred to the real me when I dispel, which I'm going to do now. There are a few more clones in this area, so you're covered. You'll be giving the signal when you charge in, got it?" Sasuke nodded. "Alright, hope this works!" The Naruto before him disappeared in a puff of smoke. Sasuke grinned. _The dobe really has improved. Maybe this won't be so bad…_

* * *

><p>Sakura was shaking out of both fear and despair. Fear because she didn't know where Kakashi was, and despair because what Sasuke had said was true. Naruto had improved. She was weak. <em>Both the boys are going to get bells and I'm going to be sent back to the Academy… How could this happen?<em>

**_We've just got to work harder from now on! Shānnarō!_**

_Yeah but how are we going to do that when we're stuck in the Academy again? We can't improve if we can't learn!_

"Sakura-chan!"

She jumped at the whispered call, spinning around quickly with a kunai in hand. _Oh, good, _she thought, _it's just Naruto._ She quickly shook off her panic. "What do you want, Naruto?"

"Sasuke and I have a plan, and we need your help for it to go off without a hitch."

"And why would you need my help? I'm weak. Sasuke-kun was right. I'm just going to hold you back."

"Sakura-chan, you're so smart and so stupid at the same time."

"Huh?"

Naruto was smiling at her again. She started feeling relaxed. _I'm starting to realize that I've missed out on a great friendship. How is he able to forgive me so easily?_

"Look, Sakura-chan, you have an incredible amount of potential! After today we can train together and get stronger. I promise, okay? You're not going to _'hold us back'_, you're an important member of this team and I'm going to make sure that we all succeed, okay?" His words were so calming, so reassuring… She believed them. Or at least, she wanted to believe them. "So, Sasuke and I are going to give Kakashi-sensei everything we've got to push him toward this forest's edge. When Sasuke and my clones charge him, we're going to sit here waiting. I'm going to perform a **Henge** to look like you to distract him, and while we're all keeping his attention, you'll swoop in and grab the bells. Got it?"

She nodded. "O-Okay, Naruto… I hope this plan works."

He smiled, and she felt a warm sensation in her chest. _Why didn't I try making friends with Naruto earlier?_

"Sakura-chan, you ready?" She nodded again, and Naruto pointed out toward the clearing. Kakashi was currently there, engaged in a sparring match against Sasuke and a few Naruto clones. The real Naruto lightly patted Sakura's shoulder and grinned, holding up a hand seal. He performed a **Henge** and transformed into a perfect replica of Sakura. "Alright, I'm going to go out there and start trying to distract him some more. Wait until he gets close enough and then go for it!"

* * *

><p>Kakashi was half-tempted to call it a day and pass them all, anyway. Sasuke and Naruto were working perfectly together. Their last combo of Naruto's <strong>fūton <strong>jutsu and Sasuke's **katon **jutsu was immense, and their taijutsu styles were complementing each other. As Kakashi analyzed Sasuke's stance, he quickly came to the conclusion that he was using a very basic form of the Uchiha clan's taijutsu style, the **Ryū no Jōshō**. While it wasn't very refined, it still added to the fight what Naruto's Academy style could not. But there was one reason he could not pass them all.

Sakura hadn't helped yet.

_I sure hope that she does something, soon,_ Kakashi prayed. _If not, I can't officially pass this team. It'd be a shame, too. Sasuke and Naruto have such a great capacity for teamwork._ His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed he was now blocking a new set of kicks and punches. It was from Sakura. _Hm… She's better than she looks, but her taijutsu is just about as basic as Naruto's. I wonder what's going on… _Kakashi quickly noted he was being slowly pushed back toward the forest. He glanced subtly at the alarm. _30 seconds and counting…_

The real Sakura saw her chance. She darted forward as quietly as possible, attempting to close the distance between her and the bells. _15 seconds…_ Sakura wove around the clones, doing her best to not get spotted as she approached Kakashi. _5 seconds…_ She dove for it. Her hand graced the bells just as the alarm began to ring. Simultaneously, the three members of Team Seven groaned, and the only thought currently in their mind was a series of curse words to describe how painfully terrible the situation is. Kakashi looked at the three genin around him.

_I see… So that Sakura I was fighting wasn't Sakura. That was a **Henge **of Sakura performed by Naruto. He was trying to distract me so that Sakura could sneak in and get the bells. I figured _something_ was up when Sakura began hitting as hard as Naruto did… Despite that all, they really tried to perform as a team. On top of that, they were so close…_

"Dammit!" Sasuke cursed. "We didn't get the bells… Ugh!" _I'm never going to catch up to Him at this rate…_

"Hmm… Well, I guess there's only one thing left to say," Kakashi started, a thoughtful tone in his voice.

The three genin looked at him apprehensively.

"You all pass."

_"WHAT!?"_

"You all pass! You all worked as a team to try to take down an opponent that was far superior to you. You came up with a strategy and stuck to it. Despite the failed attempt, it shows that you three are capable of coming together and creating a plan. When it comes to the world of the shinobi, there is only one thing to remember. 'Those who break the rules are scum, but those who would abandon their teammates and friends are even worse than scum.' Congratulations, you're the first team that I've passed. Ever."

The genin all paled. _First ones that he's passed?_ Naruto grinned. "Well, I figured _something_ was up with this test. There was no way that we, individually, could take you down. It meant you wanted us to work together, which wouldn't make sense with two bells. I was just hoping my gamble paid off."

"I'm glad you all caught on. I believe that I could easily turn you into a super team. However, I'm not going to lie to you. The next few weeks are going to be terrible."

Sasuke frowned. "And why is that, pray tell?"

"Because between training you to the bone and drilling teamwork into you, you're also going to be taking D-rank missions. These missions are chores. You're _going_ to hate them and demand that we take higher ranking missions. However, think of them as team bonding exercises. For the next five weeks we will meet here every day at eight in the morning to work on training. At one o'clock, we will go to take a D-rank. At five o'clock, we will return and review anything you have been taught that day. Fridays will be days off. And don't worry, I'll show up on time from now on." Kakashi turned to Naruto. "You're all dismissed, however, Naruto, could you stay for a moment?"

"Hai." Sakura and Sasuke both turned to leave. After they were far enough away, Kakashi caught Naruto's eye.

"So, you know about your father. I suspected something had changed when you changed your appearance to look like he did when he was your age." Naruto grinned sheepishly. "Be careful though. As you've no doubt already been warned, your father made quite a name for himself in multiple nations. While Kumogakure isn't necessarily hostile toward us, they harbor very hateful feelings toward Minato. Iwa, on the other hand, will no doubt make bold moves to attempt to eliminate you should they find out. On top of that, your mother was also particularly feared. Minato, as you were aware, had a five-hundred million ryō bounty on his head. Your mother wasn't very far behind him. She was a renowned weapon smith, taijutsu specialist and kenjutsu master, on top of being an expert in fūinjutsu like most Uzumaki clan members are. Be careful, Naruto. I promised your father I would protect you."

Naruto nodded, then looked thoughtful for a moment. "Kakashi-sensei, I was wondering something… do you happen to understand the **Hiraishin** at all? It's infuriating that I can't get it down. I've been able to get to immobile targets, but if the target is moving it's incredibly difficult. On top of that, Ihave to use a hand seal to get it to even function. How did my father perform it so well?"

Kakashi smiled. "Naruto, unfortunately I can't even begin to understand that jutsu. It requires a vast knowledge of fūinjutsu to even attempt, and the fact you've made any progress at all is impressive." Naruto sighed, and Kakashi added, "And besides, your father didn't learn it until he was sixteen, and he didn't perfect it beyond the Nidaime's capabilities until he was twenty. You have plenty of time. Now, I have to go report to the Hokage. Go home, get some rest, eat healthy and prepare. Tomorrow is going to be particularly brutal, because I'm going to assess everything about each and every member of the team. It might be demeaning and insulting to hear what I am going to say, but keep in mind, I'm doing this to help you all."

Naruto nodded. "Thanks, Kakashi-niisan." Kakashi froze.

"As much as I appreciate the sentiment, Naruto, please refer to me as _sensei_ around Sasuke and Sakura. I don't want them to suspect anything."

"I get it, I know, don't worry! I promised jiji that I'd keep it a secret. Besides, it's kind of my trump card, after all!" Naruto's expression darkened. "And… It would also lead them to discover… y'know…" Naruto grabbed his gut. "Furball."

Kakashi quirked his visible brow and then began to chuckle. "You call it 'Furball'? Only you, Naruto. Only you. I'm curious, have you made contact with it yet?" Naruto shook his head. "Good. Don't bother. It'll more than likely try killing you and, should that fail, coaxing you into freeing it. Anyway, I'm off. Ja ne!" Kakashi disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

* * *

><p>When Kakashi arrived at the Hokage tower, the two chūnin guards at the door nodded respectfully to him and motioned him in. When he entered Hiruzen's office he noted quickly that Sarutobi Asuma and Yūhi Kurenai were both present as well. <em>Must be here to deliver passing results. They probably expect failing results from me. Heh, they'll be surprised.<em>

"Kakashi," Hiruzen greeted, "we were just waiting for you! Kurenai and Asuma here both report their teams are successful."

"I'm sure Kakashi is only here to report his failed team," Asuma chided. "I mean, come on, he hasn't passed a single one yet!"

"Actually…" This caught everyone in the room off-guard. "I'm here to report that Team Seven is a colossal success. Under the circumstances behind their backgrounds, they very nearly took the bells from me."

"The Bell Test?" Kurenai inquired, incredulously. "That infernal abomination of a test? I suppose it's only natural you would administer _that_ outdated thing, being you were given that test by your own sensei, but regardless, that test doesn't truly measure their capabilities."

"I'm fully aware of that and have planned accordingly, Kurenai-chan. Do not worry about my team." Kakashi grinned and 'eye-smiled' toward her. "Besides, it wouldn't do to have the only Uchiha remaining in the village to fail, now would it? The council would have my ass. Of course, that isn't to say these three genin aren't remarkable. I'd love to be able to glimpse into the future and see what they become. I only hope that I can break Sakura of her fan-girl attitude and help Sasuke see the truth behind being an 'avenger'. Naruto, on the other hand, is actually very skilled, given what I've heard of the Academy. Hokage-sama, what is it he was taught?"

Hiruzen grinned and chuckled a bit. "Why, Kakashi-san, I am unaware of what you are referring to!" There was a small gleam in his eye, a sure sign that he was hiding something.

"Well, the fact that he is capable of performing the **Hiraishin** on stationary targets sure says a lot about his sudden massive growth."

Kurenai and Asuma both froze. Asuma's cigarette very nearly fell from his mouth. Hiruzen's brow was raised.

"Well," Hiruzen spoke, breaking the silence the room had fallen under, "I was unaware he was learning _that_ technique. Under the circumstances I suppose it is only natural for the boy to take after his father, being that he knows, but-"

"Excuse me, tou-san, did you say he knows?" Asuma quirked a brow.

Kurenai gasped. "Knows what? What is it we are referring to here, Hokage-sama?"

"Why, Kurenai-chan, his parentage, of course! His father is Minato, and his mother is Kushina. It was revealed to him after the Mizuki incident two weeks ago. The boy came in after having had his rather _unique _status revealed to him and put two and two together. Despite how horrid the Academy was to Naruto, he is quite bright. He inherited his father's intelligence – one that, if I may remind you, competed quite well with the natural IQ of the Nara clan. If I recall correctly, Minato was the only known shinobi to be able to beat Nara Shikaku in shōgi two times out of three. But, more to the point, Kakashi, I would like you to observe his progress with this technique."

Kurenai was dead silent, shocked beyond words at the revelation. She was one of the many jōnin who was completely unaware of Naruto's heritage. The only ones who knew were Kakashi, Asuma, Inuzuka Tsume, Anko, Iruka and Yūgao. Shikaku had an inkling of an idea but no solid proof.

Kakashi smiled again, something he had been doing a lot of lately. "That only helps reinforce what I also came to request. Hokage-sama, would you be willing to lend me, say, ten of my sensei's **Hiraishin** kunai? Just to help him practice with it."

"A bold request, Kakashi-san. But, I will grant it." Hiruzen opened his lowest desk drawer with a special key, reaching inside and withdrawing a special kunai pouch. "There are fifteen in here. You may give them to him tomorrow. My old student, Jiraiya, is also here. He will be helping the boy work with the Toads of Myōbokuzan soon. He has, as I have been informed, already signed the summoning contract."

Kurenai was shocked, and Asuma's jaw practically hit the floor. They both had the same thought on their mind. "He's a genin and he's already signed the summoning contract!?"

"Why, of course! Jiraiya is his godfather, after all. It is only natural that he would be given this honor so early." Hiruzen grinned at Asuma. "Besides, the boy is more than capable. Combine my own chakra reserves with those of the Densetsu no Sannin and he still has a greater chakra reserve than I do. The boy is an energy monster. Regardless, with team reporting complete, you may leave. Enjoy your evenings. It will be an interesting six months to come, especially when the Chūnin exam rolls around."

As the three jōnin instructors left – two completely stunned beyond words – Hiruzen turned and peered out the large window behind his desk. He smiled as he gazed upon the entire village. _Minato-san, Kushina-san, believe me when I say your son is already living up to your legacy. I won't fail you, I promise._ He glanced idly at the massive stack of paperwork. _And now if I could just make all of these infernal reports disappear, my life would be infinitely easier!_

* * *

><p><strong>And so concludes chapter two! Chapter three will be up next Friday. Next time, <em>Progress!<em>**_  
><em>


	4. Chapter Three: Progress

**Here we are, chapter 3! This one took a particularly long time editing and revising, so I hope you all like the final result.**

**remingtonduke: "Can't wait for the next chapter. Since it's titled progress i would assume that Naruto gets hiriashin down to a usable combat technique." - Almost. You'll see =)**

**montana15: "sakura doesnt have potential, she has good chakra control because she barley has any chakra at all" - Not true. While she has very litte chakra, her chakra control is stellar. If her reserves are slowly built up and she retains the amazing chakra control she could be feared. Plus, I don't plan on making her useless in this story.**

**legendary flash: "****nyc chapter but extremely fast paced plot" - Yeah, I noticed. It slows down a bit, though.**

**Rebmul: "if it ends up a harem id love to see hana added" - I'm not sure either way. In the next few chapters I might post a poll to see whether or not it should be a harem. And depending on the results, another poll to see the top choices. Yugito is 100% guaranteed, though.**

**Kurama Thunderstorm: "Please no harem for this story and no changing pair.. in this story Naruto much more smarter than the canon. It means he could think more logical. Harem just make him like a jerk, smart, strong and he can having sex with any women he wants like he has no dignity. If it One-sided harem can be accepted, i mean many girls will try to win Naruto's heart after they saw the real Naruto, however Naruto only choose one who will be his true love, that is Nii Yugito.." - Not entirely true, though I do see your point. Naruto is, as you put it, much smarter in this fanfic due to how I wrote it. With that said, it is also this intelligence that could allow him to see reason and begrudgingly accept the CRA, seeing as he knows he is one of the sole survivors for multiple clans, and the loss of any one of those clans could be devastating for Konoha. He wouldn't be a slimy pervert like Jiraiya, don't worry.**

**G-man:"In the manga Naruto's foolishness and indomitable spirit are what set him apart from the line of Asura/Indra reincarnations. If you take away the first of these two things and make him uber badass right off the bat, it takes away the essence of who Naruto is: someone who struggles and fails but never stops moving forward.**

**I'm not attempting to bash your story. I just hope you keep this in mind as you keep writing." - I see your point. He isn't an uber badass, however. He still has to work for it, I promise.**

**Response phase done, enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

><p>Naruto groaned as he entered his apartment. The past five weeks had been absolutely brutal. Kakashi was correct in his assessment that Team Seven would be hating life. Every single day had been an absolute chore. Every single D-rank mission had left the genin team bruised, battered, bloody and broken. Between picking weeds out of some gardener's fields, babysitting for parents who honestly shouldn't have been parents, going grocery shopping for people who were perfectly capable of shopping for themselves and delivering mail to ungrateful bastards, Naruto was tired of the life of a shinobi already.<p>

On top of that, the usual glares and insults he had thrown his way on a daily basis had seemed to get worse with his induction into the ranks of Konoha's shinobi. It seemed that, no matter where he went, he would find one hateful bastard who would attempt making his life miserable. He hated his luck.

The training itself was good, but Naruto was sore all over. His initial experience with Kakashi's training regimen hadn't been too easy, either. It all started five weeks ago, the day after the bell test…

* * *

><p><em>Kakashi surveyed his new genin team before him, each and every one right on time. They were all shocked that he had kept true to his word and actually showed up on time, even going as far as to try releasing a nonexistent genjutsu – much to his chagrin. The very first thing he had them do was spar him. He was wanted them to go all-out, trying to gauge each and every member of the team to see how far they had to go before he could honestly call them true shinobi. Naruto's spar had been first. He'd fared particularly well in the first few seconds of the match, but it all went south the moment Naruto had failed to read one of Kakashi's swings.<em>

_"__Well, then Naruto," Kakashi assessed, "your taijutsu is very poor. Your ninjutsu is fantastic from what I can tell and you have great reserves, far superior to that of Hiruzen-sama's. However, your style doesn't complement your physical build. You are limber and lithe, you are quick and you can think well on your feet. The rigid Academy style does not suit you. I am unsure what to do about it, as I don't know many styles that would work well with your build. I'll find you a sparring partner to work with – a taijutsu specialist, actually – and he can work out any flaws you may have."_

_Sasuke's spar had not gone much better. He had held out for an even shorter time period than Naruto had, going on the offensive immediately with speed that _almost_ matched Naruto's and force that exceeded his. He was on his back, panting like crazy. Kakashi was rubbing his chin, thoughtfully._

_"__Your ninjutsu is excellent. As far as your taijutsu goes, it's decent, I suppose. You're using that style wrong, however."_

_Sasuke had gotten offended at this and scoffed, demanding Kakashi explain how he knew what the style worked._

_"__I fought alongside an Uchiha in the Third Shinobi War. He used the style much better than you did. The __**Ryū no Jōshō, **__or as it is more famously known, the 'Interceptor Style', is not about offense, it's about utilizing your __**Sharingan **__to the absolute fullest and counterattacking with as much ferocity as you can muster. The style is about defense. The only time you can go on the offensive is when you have broken your opponent's initial attack and have him or her on the ropes. I had wondered what you were doing during the Bell Test, but now I see that you were simply misled."_

_"__I can at least use the style, right?" Sasuke asked, his clan pride once again showing through._

_"__Of course! I will simply instruct you to use it better. In fact, if I may give my own opinion, the style actually complements Naruto. He can be the sword and you can be the spiked shield, each covering for the other."_

_Sasuke sat down next to Naruto and sighed, realizing slowly that the pride he had was slowly being whittled away. Perhaps he did need friends... _

_Sakura's spar had lasted three seconds total before Kakashi picked her apart, but not before he had learned something important about Sakura._

_"__Sakura, your problem is the same as Naruto's. You use a style that does not suit you. Your body screams agility to me, and it makes me wonder whether or not you would be suited for a rather… _unique_ technique. The only reason I am curious is due to what appears to be a great amount of chakra control on your part. The style I had in mind is called the __**Chi Mūndansu**__, a style that is more akin to dancing than fighting. The style – created by a rather fiery woman by the name of Kushina," Naruto's eyes subtly widened, "utilizes agility and mobility. Kushina was renowned as one of the greatest taijutsu specialists in the entirety of Konoha due to her unique taijutsu style. The reason for this is because she was incredibly fluid and quick. Her strength did not come from natural muscle, but rather chakra enhancement. I suspect you are very capable of learning this style and using it as effectively as she did."_

_"__Sensei," Sakura asked, "by 'chakra enhancement', do you mean the same as Senju Tsunade?"_

_"__The very same. Kushina was a student of Tsunade's, for a time. Kushina was very gifted and talented, her capabilities only rivaled by those of the Yondaime himself. Tsunade watched this taijutsu technique develop and could not praise Kushina enough. Tsunade never had the opportunity to learn it, however, as by the time Kushina had perfected this style, she was killed on the night of the Kyūbi attack. She left scrolls, but from what I can recall, Tsunade never requested them. She left the village shortly before, upset about something."_

_Sakura was stunned. "I could become like Tsunade!?" Kakashi smiled and nodded. Naruto grinned and patted Sakura on the shoulder. He was temporarily surprised when she didn't hit him, but he was happy she had found this out._

_"__Toldja, Sakura-chan. You're amazing and you have tons of potential! Now all we gotta do is train!"_

* * *

><p>And train they did. The past five weeks had been absolute hell for all three members of Team Seven. Every last muscle ached on a daily basis. When Kakashi had told Naruto he had found him a taijutsu instructor, he did not actually believe that he would be pitted up against Maito Gai's student, Rock Lee. The spars were brutal, Lee absolutely outdoing Naruto in every single aspect in every single spar. Naruto was then worked to the bone, physically. He had thought after his time under Yūgao and Anko that he would've been capable of handling Lee, but he was proven sorely wrong when Lee revealed that he was using incredibly heavy training weights in their spars.<p>

And so Naruto was given the same weights.

His training would consist of being run ragged all across the village – half of the time on his hands – performing a million and a half (well, it certainly felt like it, exaggeration aside) pushups, crunches, squats, pull-ups and leg-lifts with twice that in weight on his back and chest, arms and legs, beating a tree stump until he was bruised all over and then going through the whole process again. All the while he would hear Lee and Gai screaming about the powers of the "Flames of Youth", and Gai and Kakashi talking about an "Eternal Rivalry" that they've fostered since their days in the Academy. What he didn't expect were the incredible results that these insane exercises were churning out. As it turns out, being the Kyūbi heals him at such an incredible rate, his muscle growth is about ten times faster than the average person.

After two weeks of solid training, Naruto could match the speed that Lee was capable of. He wasn't necessarily as strong as Lee was, but he was able to dodge and counterattack to such a perfect extent that Gai had referred to Naruto as a 'natural-born prodigy'. Of course, this only led Lee to proudly stating that his "Flames of Youth" had declared Naruto as his own "Eternal Rival". The only problem was, however, that they still had yet to find a style that actually suited him. He used a very improvised version of the **Gōken****_, _**but he still didn't feel right using it. He would have to figure something out later.

When he wasn't training with the insane weights, Naruto was being further drilled on chakra control. Kakashi was surprised when Naruto exhibited a great degree of chakra control, something that had been noted as _'absolutely terrible, not even capable of producing a single Academy __**Bunshin**__', _and chalked it up to Naruto's week-and-a-half boot camp. Sakura and Sasuke were also being drilled quite heavily on chakra control, each having to perform the standard tree-climbing exercise that a shinobi was capable of doing. Sakura, of course, had been a natural at it, completing it in her first try. Naruto also performed it on his first go, explaining to Kakashi that he had been trained to do this during the 'boot camp' he had been put through.

Sasuke took four hours to complete it, and he was livid.

Sasuke hated how far back he had seemed to fall. Sakura, herself, was quite shocked at how Naruto seemed to be ahead of Sasuke at everything. Of course, this only drove Sasuke to work even harder than before, often slipping out of consciousness by the end of the day from sheer exhaustion. Sasuke, too, had been given heavy training weights and his own insane physical exercise regimen. Unlike Naruto, however, his own sparring partner was Kakashi. As he had said, Kakashi was actually a natural at the Uchiha clan's specialized taijutsu, correcting Sasuke immediately on all of the possible applications and uses. Sasuke found himself predicting Kakashi's movements and strikes _without_ his **Sharingan**, something that surprised him. Kakashi wasn't surprised.

_'__Relying on the __**Sharingan**__ is more than likely to get you killed,' _he had explained to Sasuke. _'Use it only when you need an edge. Otherwise, don't openly use it in every fight. The more you use it, the more reliant on it you become, and the less your instincts develop.'_

After a week had passed, Kakashi had deemed that it was time to test them for elemental affinities. That had been an interesting experience.

* * *

><p><em>"<em>_Alright, my cute little genin," the three genin in question flinched, "today is a rather special day. Today I will be testing each of you for your elemental affinities."_

_"__Elemental affinities?" Sasuke asked._

_"__Yes. Each and every shinobi is born with anywhere from one to five elemental affinities. It is standard that a shinobi has one, common that a shinobi gains access to a second, rare that a shinobi is born with three, nearly improbable that a shinobi is born with four and practically impossible for a shinobi to be born with all five. Keep in mind, though, this isn't something genin normally learn. In fact, more often than not, this is something that shinobi training for the Jōnin exam train with. So, as a result, I'm not going to heavily focus on it in your allotted time. If you desire to improve, it will be on your own time." Kakashi withdrew three slips of paper, no more than the size of the palm of his hand. _

_"__You are going to channel your chakra into these slips of paper. When you do, one, or a combination, of five things will happen. The paper can crumble to dirt, signifying an earth affinity. The paper can crumple up, signifying a lightning affinity. It can burn, signifying a fire affinity. It can grow damp, signifying a water affinity. And finally, it could split in two, signifying a wind affinity. Sakura, you're first."_

_He handed her a slip of paper, and when she channeled her chakra into it, the paper both crumbled to dirt and ignited. Kakashi looked amused._

_"__And you're from a civilian family, Sakura? You have an affinity for _both_ earth and fire."_

_"__What does that mean, Kakashi-sensei?"_

_"__It means that you not only have the same elemental affinity as Tsunade, but you have the same affinity as Kushina, as well. You are practically destined to surpass them." Sakura was beaming. She couldn't believe she could possibly surpass the two strongest kunoichi of Konoha. But Kakashi wasn't finished. "It also means that you, potentially, have access to a rather unique kekkei genkai. The possibility exists that you could use __**Yōton, **__or Lava based jutsu. Of course, I do not know any as I am incapable of using them, but I will look into trying to teach some to you."_

_Kakashi then handed Sasuke a piece of paper and had him channel his own chakra into it. His paper crumpled up and burned. Kakashi nodded, as if he had predicted this outcome._

_"__It appears that you have inherited the standard fire affinity of the Uchiha clan. It is interesting, however, that the second affinity you should be born with should be lightning over water."_

_"__Why is that?" Sasuke inquired, curious._

_"__Because your brother, Itachi, inherited fire and water. It is interesting that you should inherit lightning because, due to how each nature interacts with the others, lightning jutsu tend to complement water jutsu." Sasuke growled at the very thought of his brother's arsenal working with his, but Kakashi placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder and smiled with his eye at him. "You're in luck, though, as I have a lightning affinity myself! I can teach you a great number of things about that element."_

_Kakashi then handed a grinning Naruto a slip of paper. Naruto knew exactly what would happen, and when his paper split in half – one half crumpling and the other burning – he couldn't help but smirk at Kakashi's dumbfounded expression._

_"__Naruto, this is incredible! You've inherited three nature affinities! At so young, too…" Inwardly, Kakashi was thoroughly ecstatic. _Inheriting all three possible elemental affinities as your parents… Heh, Naruto, you're going to be an amazing shinobi someday.

_Naruto smiled and nodded, knowingly. "Truth be told, jiji already tested my affinities. I knew beforehand."_

_Sasuke was livid, again. The thought of Naruto being more advanced than he was irked him. He wasn't entirely sure why, but he knew he needed to work even _harder _to get stronger. _

_"__Sensei," Sakura asked, noting Sasuke's colder demeanor. "I get that each of us have an affinity and all, but what's the point of each element? What are they good for? And I thought we could learn any elemental jutsu…"_

_"__That is true, Sakura. I'll answer your questions in a different order, though, starting with the second question and answering the first question in between. Fire is a very common element here in Hi no Kuni, and for a good reason. Fire is very strong at mid to long range and is considered to be a very strong offensive element. Water is common in Mizu no Kuni, obviously due to their geographic location. Water is considered a very balanced element, being capable of playing as both offense and defense. In Kaminari no Kuni, lightning is the most common element. Lightning is highly offensive and very quick, and is favored in locations where storms occur very often. It can be used as an enhancement to weapons and, as such, is also considered a strong offensive element. Earth, most commonly used in Tsuchi no Kuni, is less versatile than water but easier to use. It is far more common than most of the elements. Earth is highly defensive and can be strong as offense, as well, but it is mostly used to create walls of earth rather than launch earth at your foes."_

_"__Finally, there is wind. Wind is an incredibly rare element and also very difficult to use. Wind is very limited in its applications, but the masters of the element are the most feared individuals in the world. Wind is often found in great abundance over in Kaze no Kuni, but more often than not Sunagakure will use sand based jutsu over wind based jutsu as the sand there is easier to manipulate. Wind is the most offensive element in existence, and as such, it is nearly impossible to fight off one who masters wind. It can literally cut a person's foe to ribbons, deflect any and all thrown weapons and enhance the user's own weapons to deadly sharp edges. However, controlling the wind is one of the hardest things a shinobi can do. Much more difficult to control than lightning and fire."_

_"__So Naruto has three elements," Sasuke muttered. There was obviously venom in his voice as he said it. "How is he so far ahead of me…?"_

_Kakashi ignored Sasuke's statement. "To answer your third question, Sakura, yes, you can learn any elemental jutsu you desire. However, your elemental jutsu will be stronger depending on whether or not you have an affinity for it. You can even create specialization jutsu, something that many people don't take into account. For example, the Sandaime Raikage of Kumo created a technique called the __**Raiton no Yoroi**__, which basically channels electric chakra into the air around him to hyper-stimulate his nervous system. When you're older and master your elements I will be more than willing to help you create your own special jutsu… For now, though, let's begin learning some basic jutsu for each of your elemental affinities."_

* * *

><p>Each of the three members had begun to learn a jutsu from their element specializations. Kakashi had taken to teaching Sakura <strong>Doton: Doryūheki <strong>– something she promptly made her own by adding a Sakura flower carving into her technique – and **Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu**. She immediately took to learning them with vigor, determined to prove she wasn't weak in the eyes of Sasuke. Oddly enough, she also found herself wanting to impress Naruto. She still hadn't come to terms with the idea that Naruto was a genuine friend to her at this point, so she played it off and ignored those feelings. She had been a lot nicer to him, however. Sasuke was just hoping she was finally over him.

Sakura also began learning the **Chi Mūndansu**. While she wasn't very refined at it, she could at least _sort of _compete with the boys on her team. She wasn't actually capable of enhancing her strength with chakra yet, but she figured that, when she did, she would finally be able to beat Naruto and Sasuke in a spar. She had also stopped dieting in order to train, much to her displeasure at first. She believed she would gain weight and look fat, to which Kakashi promptly told her the training would burn the extra fat anyway.

Sasuke had begun learning multiple **katon** jutsu. Sasuke had started immediately by learning **Katon: Ryūka no Jutsu** to complement his own style. Kakashi drilled the jutsu into Sasuke's head and forced him to be capable of using the jutsu with one hand. It had taken him three weeks to be able to do it, and after Sasuke demanded _'why the hell he needed to perform a melee range jutsu with one hand', _Kakashi explained to him that if Sasuke ever found himself in a situation where he was grappling with an opponent with one hand, the other could use the jutsu. Realization dawned on his face and he immediately realized his own **Ryū no Jōshō **taijutsu style just became infinitely more frightening.

On top of the **Ryūka no Jutsu** that Sasuke had learned, he had also been taught **Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu** to use. He took to this jutsu immediately and learned it as quickly as he could, spending day after day until he mastered it. When Sasuke asked why he wasn't learning any lightning jutsu, Kakashi simply explained that he needed to completely master his chakra control. Using lightning was quite dangerous, as incorrectly converting chakra to lightning early could actually electrocute the user of the technique.

Naruto had also been handed the **Hōsenka no Jutsu** to learn, and learned it within two weeks. Additionally, Kakashi had begun to teach Naruto **Katon: Karyū Endan**. Because the basic idea was similar to the **Endan** technique that Naruto already knew, learning the second jutsu was a breeze. Of course, he accidentally added too much chakra to it on his first try and nearly scorched the entire training ground. Kakashi then scolded Naruto for the next two hours on watching how much chakra he puts into a technique, as using too much could do far more damage than help in battle.

In secret, Naruto had been learning both the **Hiraishin **and his own **Fūton no Yoroi** technique. Kakashi had given him fifteen **Hiraishin **kunai to practice with, and Naruto found himself giddy at the prospect of holding kunai that had once touched the Yondaime's – his father's – hand. Of course, it didn't help. He could teleport to them after the kunai had landed, but never during the journey he had sent it on when he threw it. He also still needed a hand seal to perform it. His new jutsu was starting to come along, though. Slowly but surely, Naruto could begin to increase his speed with it. He was beginning to feel the effects of his self-made jutsu, an air pocket forming around him that would ever-so-slightly allow him to move faster and hit harder. He smiled at the thought of its completion.

* * *

><p>While Naruto was at home contemplating what had occurred the past five weeks, Sakura was idly walking the streets of Konoha. She had no real destination in mind, she simply wanted to walk. She was currently confused about a great multitude of things. The first and foremost, of course, were her feelings regarding the ever-mysterious Uchiha on their team. Sasuke had made it very clear to her that he did not feel anything toward her. Yeah, the past five weeks he had slowly opened up to them, but she knew that, in the end, he would only view her as a sister. For some strange reason, though, she didn't mind.<p>

And that's what worried her.

Her second concern was how terribly she had treated Naruto – the boy who seemed to be able to make her smile. He had admitted to her earlier in the week that he realized what he felt was a sibling connection. She didn't mind that, either. Truth be told, she was overjoyed that Naruto could be such a close brother figure to her. Her parents – both of whom had withdrawn from the council after his sixth birthday with disdain toward the other civilian council members – were content with Naruto occasionally coming over and helping her with some of her more personal issues. She could trust him and confide in him – something she had missed since her fallout with Ino.

Speaking of the platinum-haired Yamanaka…

Sakura looked up, drawn from her thoughts by the familiar sound of Ino's voice. She realized quickly that she had wound up at the Yamanaka Flower Shop. Burning with new-found determination, she stepped inside. Ino was engrossed in a magazine, and from what it looked like, it was a _'Kunoichi Fashion' _magazine. Some things died hard…

Sakura approached the counter and rung the bell. Ino was shocked from her stupor with the magazine.

"Forehead," she greeted, a little bit of ice dripping from her voice. Sakura smiled and waved. Ino was slightly caught off guard, but she retained her harsh glare.

"Ino!" Sakura greeted. "Just the person I was thinking about. How've you been? Things running smoothly in the shop?"

"What's this about, forehead…?"

"Ah, nothing. I was just… caught in my thoughts, I guess. You were actually among them…" Sakura frowned and looked at the ground. "I was… thinking, you know? What ever happened to our friendship? I mean, I know _Sasuke_ happened," Ino's brow raised at the absence of a certain honorific, "but a boy shouldn't tear us apart so much. What happened to our dreams of becoming great kunoichi?"

"Where are you going with this, Sakura?" Ino asked, bewildered at the sudden change in Sakura's attitude.

"I miss our friendship, Ino. I've given up on Sasuke. He's like… a brother to me. Besides, he confessed to me that he wouldn't ever think of me as more than a friend. While I was put off at first, I realized slowly that I didn't mind it. As I've gotten to know him, I know Sasuke would only have his clan's best interests in mind. I wouldn't be among them. You might, but I don't think he'd be remotely interested in any relationships with _anyone_ until he achieves his goal."

"S-Sakura!? Are you feeling alright? Do you have a fever or something!?"

"No, Ino, I've simply come to a realization that I don't want to argue over affection that won't ever be reciprocated. I want our friendship back. And I'm formally withdrawing from the race to Sasuke's heart."

Ino nearly fainted. Here was Sakura, the only girl she knew who had as strong a love for Sasuke as she did, the only girl who could compete with her, withdrawing from the race.

"There's more, Ino." Ino's eyes widened. "Naruto… He's… He's actually a pretty cool guy! I don't know what happened but… he's really awesome now. He's calm, he's collected and he's mature. He, too, has become like a brother to me. We've been training together outside of scheduled sessions for the past two weeks and the results are amazing! I've never felt more confident in my abilities before. You should join us, you know."

"Are we thinking of the same Naruto, Sakura? The Naruto we both know wouldn't ever grow up."

"But he _has!_ I was shocked – thoroughly shocked – when he actually started to keep up with Kakashi-sensei during our bell test."

"…okay I'll bite. But would Naruto be cool if we trained together?"

"Of course! He even told me to come ask you three days ago. He said it was a way we could reconnect. At first I was skeptical, but now I see he was right. He's come such a long way since the Academy, and it's only been five weeks." Sakura was beaming. Ino could literally _feel_ Sakura's satisfaction at how her team had turned out. Ino couldn't help but smile as well.

"So you're out of the running for Sasuke?" she inquired.

"Yup. He's all yours if you can nab him. Anyway, meet us at Training Ground four tomorrow morning at ten o'clock. And eat up! Naruto is a slave driver when he's in charge… you'll need all the energy you can get!" Before Ino could protest ruining her 'perfect diet', Sakura had already run out the door. Ino frowned and shook her head. _That forehead…_

* * *

><p>Sasuke was staring at a mirror, grinning like mad. What he saw in his reflection was his primary focus – his <strong>Sharingan<strong> had finally awakened. And not just a single tomoe, as he had feared would happen. Instead, two tomoe were staring back at him. Two weeks ago he was paired against Naruto for a two hour spar. Sasuke had quickly realized that he wasn't fast enough to keep up. He was getting beaten back by _Naruto, _of all people! It irked him, at first. Then, slowly, he calmed down.

And that's when everything started slowing down. Naruto's strikes were visible. He could read them like an open book! It was incredible with the sudden shift in the battle. Where he was incapable of tracking Naruto's movements before, Sasuke could watch and block every single strike. Naruto had been shocked. At first, he thought Naruto was simply shocked Sasuke could keep up. Then he said the four words that Sasuke had been dying to hear. _'Your eyes are red.'_ Sasuke had immediately rushed to a source of water to gaze at his reflection and, when he saw what Naruto had meant, turned into an absolute madman, dancing around, cheering and laughing like he had just been made Hokage. It was such a sudden shift in attitude that Naruto had tried dispelling some genjutsu.

And that was when he realized very quickly that the only way for him to get stronger was by having friends. Naruto had become a very close friend, someone incredibly important to him. Sakura had become a little sister to him. Yeah, she was upset at first, but then he told her that – for her to be considered family after the massacre – it was a huge deal. They were both _closer_ to him than any romantic interest could possibly get. Kakashi noted quickly that the dynamic of Team Seven changed almost immediately. They were a well-oiled machine. They were brilliant. They were absolutely perfect.

Sasuke had originally thought that being on a team like this would be a drag, a hindrance, that it would hold him back. But as he watched his teammates grow, he couldn't help but feel pride at how amazing he felt their teamwork was. He was proud at how quickly Sakura had developed. She wasn't an annoying fan-girl anymore. Instead, she was a rational, logical thinker with some of the most insane dexterity and agility that he had ever seen. When he would spar with her she would avoid every one of his strikes fluidly and land solid blows on him. Sure, they weren't that painful, but he also knew she was still learning to hone her chakra control to a razor's edge.

Naruto was a stamina demon. He could go for hours on end without breaking a sweat. When Naruto had been queried about this, he told them simply that it had to be some special kekkei genkai. Sasuke figured there was more to it, but he didn't mind it. What was weirder is how Naruto seemed to be able to heal almost instantly. Naruto justified it again with some strange and obscure bloodline, but, like before, Sasuke suspected there was more to it. He didn't care, though, so long as Naruto was on his side. He had become a formidable opponent – one that actually rivaled him even with his **Sharingan** active.

His own training had gone perfectly. He'd been trained proficiently in a number of bukijutsu to complement his dōjutsu. He was mostly trained in **Fuma Shuriken**, but he also learned to use a tantō as well. He had gained increasingly precise chakra control. It was when both he and Naruto had the required chakra control that Kakashi had begun teaching them **Raiton** techniques. What happened next actually _did_ make Sasuke jealous…

* * *

><p><em>"<em>_Alright, Sasuke, Naruto. Today I am going to be showing you a B-rank lightning jutsu." Kakashi explained, looking at his two genin. "It's a rather potent long-ranged lightning attack that has incredible destructive power. It is one of the few I know that has high killing potential outside of A-rank jutsu. There are five hand seals to use it, though once you master chakra control you can get it down to one. Observe."_

_Kakashi turned to face a large tree and performed the hand seal sequence – Tiger, Ram, Rat, Horse and Snake – and aimed his hand at it. "__**Raiton: Gian!**__" A spear of lightning erupted from his fingertips and surged toward the tree at high speeds, slamming into it and creating a sizeable hole in the trunk. He turned to Sasuke and Naruto, nodding at them, "Your turn!"_

_Sasuke was up first. He took a few tries, but eventually he got it. The result wasn't as explosive or flashy as Kakashi's, but the look of approval was evident. Naruto, on the other hand, performed it in one try. And his results were far more _shocking_. His lightning had presence and obvious power alone. But that wasn't the sole factor that made it incredible. No, his lightning was gold. Pure gold. The tree he used his jutsu on was destroyed almost instantaneously and completely. His lightning was far stronger than Kakashi's. _

_"__Naruto! That… That was… Amazing! It seems you've inherited a _very_ special kekkei genkai! That, Naruto, was __**Kin Kaminari**__, something I never thought I'd ever see…" Kakashi exclaimed, still impressed by the results._

_"__What's so special about that, Kakashi-sensei?" Sasuke asked, intrigued by the sudden outburst._

_"__**Kin Kaminari**__ is one of the most powerful lightning-based kekkei genkai around. The lightning is incredibly dense and utilizes the very energy of the air around it to amplify it. Unlike your lightning and my lightning, which are formed on chakra alone, __**Kin Kaminari**__ is formed from an almost magnetic chakra that pulls in the natural energy around it, hyper-condensing that power and amplifying it to be almost ten times the strength of chakra-based lightning. It travels faster, hits harder and uses less chakra than normal. One could say that it is a superior elemental kekkei genkai to almost everything else."_

_Sasuke frowned. "Yet another way he's surpassed me…" _

_"__I wouldn't worry about that, Sasuke. The __**Sharingan **__still grants you incredible capabilities. You may not have an elemental kekkei genkai, but when you two are even in taijutsu, you will always win. You just need to have the reflexes to avoid it." Kakashi explained, smiling. Sasuke cheered up immediately. Though, he was still massively jealous that Naruto had such a strong affinity for lightning. Sasuke then realized something. _

_"__Say, Kakashi-sensei, where does it come from? Obviously due to Konoha's nature, kekkei genkai are a clan thing. So who else uses it?"_

_Kakashi tapped his chin thoughtfully. "To be honest, Sasuke, I'm not sure if it _is_ a clan thing. Though, the only other person in our recorded history who used it became our Yondaime Hokage."_

_"__The Yondaime had a kekkei genkai?" Sasuke inquired, suddenly inspecting Naruto. _Come to think of it,_ he mused, _Naruto does look kind of like him…

_"__Of course! You don't think he was known as the __**Kiiroi Senkō**__ because of his hair color, did you?" Kakashi asked, grinning under his mask. Sasuke deadpanned. "Possibly…" he muttered. Naruto, however, was beaming. _I'll make you proud, dad. I promise.

* * *

><p>From that day forward, Naruto tried increasingly hard to master his own chakra control. He would create hundreds of clones and focus entirely on his chakra control. Meanwhile, Sasuke and Sakura were both given the task of nurturing their elements by burning, crumpling, and crumbling leaves in the palms of their hands. It had taken a bit, but they got it down. While that was happening, Naruto would be splitting boulders with his wind chakra, igniting trees with his fire chakra and creating an electric current in water with his lightning chakra. Naturally, he completed this stage in a day with the massive use of shadow clones. His chakra control became so precise that Kakashi joked he should learn <strong>Iryō <strong>jutsu just for the hell of it.

What Naruto would learn he would pass on to Sasuke and Sakura, both of whom then took to their respective tasks with newfound determination. It became a team effort for them all, something Kakashi was incredibly proud of. He knew his genin team was fantastic. It was possibly the rookie team of the year.

* * *

><p>The next morning came rather early for Naruto, as he wanted to get in some of his own practice before training with Sakura. He had a distinct feeling he'd also be training someone else today, though he couldn't imagine who it was. In terms of his own progress, he had made quite a bit. The previous Friday had seen a rather interesting occurrence in which he had summoned the Chief of the Toads, Gamabunta. That was an interesting experience. The toad boss was surprised that the kid was Minato's son and, as such, had decided to immediately grant him the ability to summon other toads. This wasn't without a cost, however. Gamabunta still wanted to have some fun.<p>

That 'fun' consisted of hanging onto Gamabunta's blue haori for dear life until dusk. Naruto was incredibly sore after that.

As far as other progress, he felt as if he were close to making a breakthrough with the **Hiraishin**. He had been able to teleport in mid-air _once_, but failed in his subsequent attempts after that. It had helped, though, that he had approached the Hokage about getting the scrolls and journal entries from his father…

* * *

><p><em>Naruto entered the Hokage's office grinning ear to ear about what he was about to ask. Hiruzen was doing paperwork again, but Naruto was always someone he would be willing to set aside time for.<em>

_"__Naruto-kun!" he greeted. "What brings you here, my boy?"_

_"__Ah, just a few things. I also wanted to talk a bit, you know? All this training has me worn out and I haven't visited you for a while." Naruto replied, scratching his cheek idly._

_"__How is your training going, anyway?" Hiruzen asked, knowing full well what the answer was._

_"__Pretty good, actually! I'm curious, is this whole __**Kin Kaminari**__ thing a kekkei genkai like Kakashi-sensei said, or is it something else? Because, as far as I can tell, no one other than tou-san was ever recorded using it, and even he rarely displayed ninjutsu like that. As far as I can tell he used hand-seal free jutsu."_

_"__Perceptive, Naruto-kun. Truth be told, it is not a kekkei genkai, but rather an incredibly high affinity for lightning. It actually stems from your Senju blood. As you are aware, the Senju were capable of doing incredible things – Tsunade with super strength and deadly chakra control, Tobirama with his incredibly high affinity for __**suiton**__ jutsu and Hashirama with his famous __**mokuton**__. The Senju do not have a kekkei genkai, but rather it is that their affinities for their elements are so high that they can do things that others cannot. Your father and you are two examples with this __**Kin Kaminari**__. Later on down the road, should you apply yourself to the same training I did and inherit __**doton **__and __**suiton **__affinities, I have no doubt you could possibly recreate a natural __**mokuton.**__ However, that could take years, even with your insane __**Kage Bunshin**__ training regimen."_

_"__I get it." Naruto said, looking thoughtful for a second. "That's interesting. I never actually thought about it like that. Though, I do have something else I was here for."_

_"__And that would be?"_

_Naruto grinned. "Anything and everything my dad ever recorded on the __**Hiraishin**__."_

_Hiruzen chuckled a bit, and then it turned into full hearty laughter. "I see, Naruto-kun! I must admit, I did not expect this request, but seeing as you are your father's son… Heh, I'll also give you any notes on the other __**jikūkan ninjutsu **__that he had. I must say, I never expected you to be growing so fast." Hiruzen stood up and moved over to a wall with Minato's portrait on it. He removed the portrait, revealing a seal on the wall. "Naruto-kun, I cannot open this. It is a blood seal that will only respond to the blood of the one who created it, and by extension, any children he or she has."_

_Naruto nodded and moved toward the seal, biting his thumb to draw blood. In one fluid motion, he swiped the bloody thumb across the seal. It glowed, briefly, and then popped, revealing four scrolls. One was marked __飛雷神__, _**_Hiraishin. _**_The second was marked __時空間忍術__, _**_jikūkan ninjutsu_**_. The third was marked __風遁、火遁と雷遁_, **_Fūton, Katon and Raiton_**_. The fourth and final was marked__封印術__, _**_Fūinjutsu. _**

_"__Wow. There's a lot of stuff here," Naruto mused, looking at the new training scrolls. "Think I can learn it all by the Chūnin exams?"_

_Hiruzen smiled, one of the genuine smiles he graced someone with when he had the utmost faith in them. "I believe you can, Naruto-kun. Especially with your __**Kage Bunshin**__. Although, I must say, if you keep this up, I'm afraid the exams themselves will be quite boring. But, I have something else I would like to share with you…"_

_"__Yes, jiji?"_

_"__I believe that, if you do manage to, ahem, abuse the __**Kage Bunshin**__ routine to the point where you are at your father's level, I will simply have to announce your heritage after the exam. On top of that, if you show the progress that I believe you are capable of, I will promote you to Elite Jōnin right out of the gate and grant you the Uzumaki clan seat on the council." Hiruzen explained, watching Naruto's reaction. It seemed that fear was the most prominent emotion on his face._

_"__Jiji, I… I don't know about that. The civilian council will-"_

_"__-just have to deal with it." Hiruzen interrupted, silencing Naruto. "You are a hero to this village, the son of another hero and the great-great-grandson of one of the two most legendary heroes this village has ever seen. Once your heritage is announced they will practically beg for your forgiveness." Hiruzen grinned, a perverted gleam twinkling in his eyes. "On top of that, we might have to enact the Clan Restoration Act on you."_

_"__What is that?" Naruto asked, suddenly feeling like he should run for his life._

_"__Basically it means you must take multiple wives to restore your clan." Naruto gulped, fear overtaking him._

_"__And if I refuse?" Naruto asked, weighing the possibilities._

_"__I'm not so sure that you can, to be honest." Suddenly Naruto wanted to faint._

Oh boy, _he thought, glumly. _This is the last thing I need…

* * *

><p>And so Naruto left, working on the <strong>Hiraishin<strong> to perfect it to the absolute fullest. He had to set aside his fear of the CRA, of course, but he would deal with that when it came.

He had also worked on his **Shunshin**. Kakashi had taught it to him upon request. Naruto saw the battle possibilities of using it, but he wasn't anywhere near capable of using it to such an extent. It was frustrating. On top of all of that training, he used upwards of two-hundred **Kage Bunshin **to speed through the learning process of fūinjutsu. The rate of progress was astounding, and Naruto supposed that his Uzumaki heritage had a hand in how fast he was learning it. At the current rate he was learning, it was almost a guaranteed thing that he'd be on a level above his Father and Mother in two months' time. He also spent a little bit of time on the **jikūkan ninjutsu **and elemental affinity scroll, but not nearly as much as the **fūinjutsu **scroll. He was, of course, making leaps and bounds.

But at the moment, Naruto was currently hurling kunai at trees fifty feet off, attempting to recreate what had happened the last time he had succeeded in performing the incredibly precise **Hiraishin: Ni no Dan **that made his father so famous. The scroll had worked wonders, and he was simultaneously learning about the **Hiraishin **formula in order to create his own kunai. _Concentrate…_ he thought. _Concentrate!_

There was a light pull in his stomach, and he held up the hand seal that was required of the jutsu. He found himself soaring through the air toward a tree, soon after. _Yes!_ Naruto exclaimed. _Ha-ha! I did it! Now I know what I'm looking for! Alright…_ When Naruto landed he summoned fifteen clones and handed them each a **Hiraishin** kunai. _They know what to do. Now I just need to get it to become second nature… And I need to do it without a hand seal. Look out, dad. I'm coming for you._

While his clones set off to the task of mastering the **Hiraishin**, Naruto decided it was time for him to finally meet his bijū, despite Kakashi's warning. He sat down in a meditative pose, closing his eyes and concentrating.

He felt a slight pull in his stomach and the breeze around him died down. When he opened his eyes he was staring at a long stone corridor flooded with water. _A sewer? _Naruto wondered, standing slowly to walk down the hallway. When he reached the end he was greeted by the sight of a massive gate. Attached to what he assumed was the keyhole was a piece of paper, 封 inscribed in the center. It was the kanji for _'Seal'._

As Naruto approached the gate, he heard breathing. More specifically, the breathing of something massive. "H-hello?" he called out. "Anyone home?" A sudden silence was his answer. He slowly approached the gate to peer inside, only to immediately jump back as a razor sharp claw twice his size gouged the spot that he was standing not but a moment before. _That thing is huge! And if that's just his claw…_

**"****Hn… And so my jailor finally decides to pay his charge a visit." **The voice was dark and malicious. Naruto quivered in fear from the raw power that emanated from the being within. **"To what do I owe the pleasure, human? Are you here to demand my power? Or are you simply here to admit you are too weak to contain me?" **The voice chuckled. **"If that's the case… come closer… Step closer to my cage so that I may rip you to shreds!"**

"That isn't why I'm here. You're the Kyūbi, correct?" Naruto asked, feigning confidence in order to mask the terror that was wracking him.

**"****Perceptive. Perhaps you aren't as stupid as I believe you humans are… So, what ****_is_**** your purpose for being here?" **A massive crimson eye opened behind the gate. Naruto gulped, silently. He quickly shrugged off the _ki_ that was being released and directed toward him.

"I have a question, first. Why is this place a sewer?"

**"****It is ****_your_**** mind. I do not know why this place is so foul and despondent. Although, perhaps it has to do with how the village you claim is your home has treated you."**

"You saw all of that?" Naruto asked, quietly.

The being within the gates chuckled a bit, as if Naruto had told a funny joke. **"Bits and pieces. I do not have full access to your mind, though I can see what you unconsciously allow me to see. I must say, if they believe that I am the monster, I wonder what they would consider themselves…"**

"Well, regardless… If this is my mind, obviously I have control over how this place works and what it looks like. Let's test it, shall we?" Naruto snapped his fingers. The stone walls of the sewer fell away, replaced by what looked like a tunnel of tree branches and vines, some glowing an orange-red and others glowing blue. The gate that was originally made of iron and looked reminiscent of a prison door was replaced by a beautiful red torii – a Japanese archway – sealed by an ornate red interlocking gate, the style that would be used to guard a powerful and important kingdom. The water at Naruto's feet dried up and revealed a beautiful forest path. But it was what was behind the gate that changed the most.

The darkness behind the gate was illuminated by a faux sun, and the wretched appearance of a cage was replaced by a wide open field. From what it appeared, it was a massive and nearly endless expanse, large mountains off in the distance. Cherry Blossom trees grew around new rivers that formed around the area. Tall grass grew rapidly around the field, covering it in a sea of green. Off in the distance, small foxes could be seen playing with each other. The ceiling fell away to reveal an infinite sky above. The Kyūbi was revealed in all of its splendor, nine massive orange tails suddenly swishing around in excitement. It stood up to examine the massive new living space granted to it. As soon as the inspection was done, the massive crimson eyes once again locked with Naruto's cerulean blue eyes.

**"****You… why would you grant me this?" **the Kyūbi asked, taken aback by the sudden showing of generosity.

"If you're going to be living inside my mind I figured I might as well be as hospitable as possible. You might despise mankind, but I doubt it is because you were born in such a state. If I had to take a guess based on empirical evidence, you've been used your whole life." The Kyūbi's eyes widened at the deduction. "I'm also going to hazard a guess that you don't have many friends. Possibly eight or nine at most, correct?"

**"****Why would a runt like you care about me? You know history. You obviously know your heritage. You know I took the lives of your parents and destroyed the village twelve years ago. I am the sole reason why your life is a living hell. You know all of this, yet you would treat me with kindness? I cannot decide if that makes you weak or strong…" **Naruto winced at the comments, but didn't show any visible distress. He quelled his own anger at the blatant disregard for his feelings that the entity in front of him just made.

"Because the 'history' I know has been a lie from the beginning. The Academy I attended taught of your death at the hands of the Yondaime, my father. They teach that you just suddenly decided to attack the village. They teach that you're a being of malice," Naruto replied, watching the Kyūbi's reaction. "However, based on the fact that the first two lessons are clearly wrong, I'd guess that the third lesson is also wrong. So tell me all about you. I'd like to get to know the truth. Everything. Your name, your history, your birth… All of it."

The Kyūbi was silent for a while, but then shook its head. **"This is the first time that my jinchūriki has even attempted to befriend me… This is quite an interesting experience, to say the least. The very thought that you would go as far as to make this place nice and cozy for me is a foreign concept. Tell me, before I begin to explain my existence to you, why do you not hate me?"**

Naruto smiled. "The villagers hated me for something out of my control. Why should I hate you for something out of your control? I doubt you attacked the village of your own volition. If I resorted to hate I would be no better than the ignorant people who've done nothing but make my life 'a living hell', as you put it. I live by the idea that one should do unto others as they wish done to themselves."

**"****An interesting response…" **the Kyūbi responded, seeming satisfied with the answer. **"Very well, human… I will humor you. My given name is Kurama. I am, obviously, the Kyūbi no Kitsune, Lord of the Fox Spirits and strongest of the bijū. I was – I suppose the best way to describe it would be 'created' – by the Rikudō Sennin."**

"Rikudō Sennin?" Naruto interrupted.

**"****You are honestly not taught about the progenitor of your 'shinobi' culture? That is surprising. You humans have always valued 'history' as part of your culture. Heh, I suppose I was misguided."**

"Jabbing at my kind aside, who was the Rikudō Sennin?" Naruto asked, irritated.

**"****He was the founder of your shinobi world. Long ago, approximately two millennia prior to this era, the world was at war. You humans were an utter nuisance. Chaotic and monstrous, bloodthirsty and savage. There was one human, though, who sought peace. Her name was Ōtsutsuki Kaguya. She was a princess from a foreign land far from this one. In order to achieve her goal, she approached the Shinju – the God Tree – and consumed its fruit. This fruit granted her power equal to that of a God. She brought the world peace with this godly power, becoming hailed as a goddess herself. She was called the 'Rabbit Goddess', if I recall the lesson correctly. Over time, however, she became corrupted. While her intentions were still pure, the means she used were barbaric."**

**"****Kaguya was paranoid. She believed the world was her nursery, and that you humans were monsters who were incapable of being civilized. In order to prevent humans from going to war once more, Kaguya placed the world under something called the Infinite Tsukuyomi, an ultimate illusion that puts everyone that it affects into a permanent coma. This would ideally prevent the world from going to war. However, before you interrupt and tell me that is a good thing, those who are under the influence of this illusion are slowly mutated into mindless husks – zombies, if you will. Humanity was quickly on the brink of extinction."**

**"****It was around this time that Kaguya gave birth to two children – presumably twins – named Hagoromo and Hamura. Both children were granted the same godlike powers as their mother, split in half. Kaguya became frightened and infuriated when their powers manifested, believing her children had power that was rightfully hers. In a drastic turn of events, Kaguya merged herself with the Shinju in an effort to reclaim her power. The entity that was created from this merging became known as the Jūbi, a ten-tailed bijū of absolute and incredible powers. This merging process took four years, and the year after it was completed, the Jūbi rampaged across the land, destroying and killing everything it came across. The world looked bleak."**

**"****Her sons, Hagoromo and Hamura, united and battled her, using their incredible Godlike powers together to halt her rampage. Upon her defeat, Hagoromo took it upon himself to seal the Jūbi within himself, becoming the first jinchūriki in existence."**

"You're telling me that Uzumaki Mito was not the first jinchūriki?" Naruto cut in, surprised. He had recalled the lessons given to him personally by Hiruzen about his lineage and both clans, as well as the village founders.

**"****No. She was the second. Upon sealing the spirit of the Jūbi within himself, Hagoromo created the moon to trap the body within it using his powerful dōjutsu, the Rinnegan. Hagoromo then created ninshū, the very first ninjutsu. He ****_created_**** the shinobi world. He introduced chakra to the human populace. This is when he was granted the title 'Rikudō Sennin', as well as the title of 'Shinobi no Kami'. However, like all humans, he knew he would die from old age eventually. It was on his deathbed that I was born. Knowing that the Jūbi would be freed upon his death, Hagoromo split the entity into nine spirits. These spirits were the bijū."**

**"****This was my birth. Hagoromo taught us the history of the world prior to our creation and left us to make our own way in the world. However, you ****_humans_**** remembered history poorly, and as such, decided to turn Hagoromo's teachings into weapons. It is from this belief that war began anew. This time, however, there was no Rikudō Sennin to fix the problem your kind created. Humans grew bold and approached us bijū, seeking to use us for their own personal gains. And that is the rest of my life. Constantly being hunted by hateful and spiteful beings who only sought power. Chief among them was the most detestable human I've ever met – Uchiha Madara. He used me with that damn dōjutsu of his, the ****_Sharingan…_**** It was despicable to be used like that! It was after Madara lost to your Shodaime Hokage, Senju Hashirama, that I was sealed within Uzumaki Mito. The rest should be obvious."**

When he was completed with his history lesson, Kurama frowned. **"Well then, human. You have your answer. What will you do now?"**

Naruto looked thoughtful for a moment, then smiled. "Well, Kurama, I'm not going to demand your power. If you desire to grant me extra strength, I will not object. But taking power from you forcefully certainly won't help cultivate a friendship."

Kurama scoffed. **"A friendship? You would trust me that easily?"**

"Why not?" Naruto asked. "You obviously weren't created to be evil. You're a hero, Kurama. You exist to prevent the Jūbi's return, no? I trust you fully."

Kurama felt something he hadn't felt in a long time. A warmth within his chakra-manifested heart. Was this… respect? Even… hope? **"Tell you what, brat… I'm willing to give you a ****_little_**** help. Step up toward the seal, place your hand on it and channel your chakra into it."**

Naruto did as he was told, being raised to the level of the seal paper by the ground beneath him rising. He placed his hand on the paper and channeled a bit of chakra into it. The seal glowed a bit, and four kanji burned into existence. In the upper left corner, 接触 appeared, the kanji for _'Touch'_. In the upper right, 思想 appeared, the kanji for _'Thought'. _In the lower left corner, 響き appeared, the kanji for _'Sound'. _Finally, in the lower right corner, 視力 appeared, the kanji for _'Sight'. _When the process was complete, Naruto was gently set down. He looked thoughtfully at the new seal.

"What'd that whole process do?" Naruto finally asked.

**"****It granted me the ability to see, hear and feel what you do, as well as communicate with you at all times. It wouldn't do for you to be pulled here in the middle of combat. While it isn't exactly reinforcing your chakra and granting you my power, it gives you a second set of eyes as well as a light sensory ability. If I grow to trust you more I ****_might_**** allow you access to my infinite power." **Kurama then scoffed a bit. "**Regardless, your seal is draining my energy and slowly assimilating yours and mine. You're getting some from the seal whether I want to give it to you or not." **Kurama explained.

"Thank you, Kurama. I promise I won't do anything to violate your trust."

**"****Hn, get going, human. I sense two new chakra signatures approaching you." **When Naruto faded from the spot he was standing on, Kurama allowed a small smile. **_That kid is interesting… He reminds me of the old man, a little bit. I sure hope he means everything he says…_**

* * *

><p>When Naruto opened his eyes again he found himself sitting where he had sat down before. The only difference was the two female figures standing before him. One he immediately recognized as Sakura. The other could only be Ino from the familiar platinum blonde hair. He noted that she had shifted her appearance a bit. She had ditched the short purple blouse in favor of a tight purple tank top that still revealed her stomach. Underneath the tank top was a mesh shirt. She still wore the purple apron skirt, but also wore tight black shinobi shorts underneath those. She had shifted from wearing arm warmers to wearing tight black fingerless gloves that extended from halfway down her upper arm to her hand, similar to the ANBU style. Black shinobi boots were her chosen footwear and her hitae-ate was attached to a black sash around her waist.<p>

"Ah, Sakura-chan! Right on time. And I see you brought Ino with you! Good. I'm glad. Let's get that friendship rebuilt, shall we?" Naruto rambled, smiling.

Ino rolled her eyes. "Sakura said you're mature and pretty strong now. I mainly came because I wanted to see if it was true or not. If it is, then we'll see. If not, I'll spend my time elsewhere."

"Shrewd as ever, Ino-chan! Ah well, I figured I'd have to have a little demonstration of my current power level to convince you I'm a decent teacher." Naruto turned to face the tree behind him. "Observe." Naruto ran through five familiar hand seals, electricity crackling a bit around his fingers. "**Raiton: Gian!**" A powerful spear of golden lightning arced through the air at incredible speeds, exploding on impact against the tree. When the dust cleared, the tree was split in two, the impact point splintered and charred. He turned back to look at Ino, grinning. Her mouth hung agape.

_Oh, Kami, that was amazing! _Ino quickly thought. _That was Sasuke-kun level amazing! Is… Is Naruto on his level? _Her eyes shifted to gaze at Naruto in a new light. _I think I might just be in love all over again!_

"Well, Ino-chan?" Naruto asked, amused at her silence.

Ino shook off her stupor, her blue-gray eyes locking with Naruto's cerulean. "Y-yes! That was… that was more than enough proof!" She calmed herself internally, trying to avoid embarrassing herself. "I mean… You proved that Forehead here was right. So where do we start?"

"First," Naruto grinned evilly, "we work on your chakra reserves." Naruto pointed to another tree nearby. "Climb that tree using only your chakra and, once you reach the top, I want you to continue doing that every day with light weights on until you can do it ten times in a row. Sakura-chan, care to give a demonstration?"

Sakura nodded and obliged, performing what Naruto asked of Ino without breaking a sweat. Ino's jaw dropped. _Forehead is much better than I remember… Has she been training seriously? Is Naruto actually that good a teacher?_

"Your turn, Ino-chan!" Naruto exclaimed. Ino winced. _This is going to be a lot of work…_ she thought glumly.

* * *

><p><strong>I certainly hope you enjoyed chapter 3! Next time: <em>Trouble comes in Waves...<em>**


End file.
